Articles Posted in Sex Crime

A 41-year-old doctor has been arrested for sexually assaulting a female patient during a physical exam in July, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports. Police say the doctor is facing three felony charges, which were filed after a six-month investigation. The doctor, who saw patients at Kaiser Permanente’s Montebello offices, molested a female patient in her 30s during a routine physical examination, officials say. Charges filed include sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation by a physician, and sexual penetration by a foreign object. The doctor has been with Kaiser for about seven years and has no prior criminal record, according to the article. He has been placed on administrative leave. No additional victims have come forward.

Sex crime allegations can prove devastating, especially for professionals who are required to interact with people on a daily basis. For a doctor or a teacher, for example, a sex crime conviction can spell the end of a career. In addition, those convicted of sex crimes face significant consequences, including prison time, hefty fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Even after serving their time, sex offenders are subject to scrutiny by law enforcement officials or community members. Even a sex crime allegation is sufficient enough to taint an individual’s reputation and affect his or her standing in the community.

Anyone who is facing sex crime charges or is under investigation would be well advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles sex crime defense lawyer who will aggressively fight the charges and pave the way for an acquittal. The skilled sex crime defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have helped defendants get charges dismissed or even reduced. A number of these sex crime charges stem from false allegations, a misunderstanding, or ulterior motives. You do not have to suffer the consequences for something you did not do. Please contact us today at (866) 430-8383 for a free consultation.

A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly failing to file an alias and address change as required by California’s sex offender registration laws. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the man was arrested after a Times investigation showed that he was involved in the process of placing actors, including children, in movies while being registered as a sex offender. He was convicted as a teenager in 1996 for an incident involving an 8-year-old he met at summer camp. Officials say that he did not file a change of address or a change of name. If convicted of those two charges, he could face up to three years in state prison. A representative for the defendant has stated that he has provided his legal name and passport to employers and that the change of address claim was related to a trip he was planning to visit his parents.

Having to register as a sex offender is one of the many serious consequences of a sex crime conviction. Having the stigma of being a convicted sexual offender can affect an individual’s life both professionally and socially. It can also have future legal implications. Previously convicted offenders can face felony charges if they fail to register each year, if they fail to register with their new county when they move, and if they fail to register a name change or alias.

Unfortunately, it is common for the authorities and juries to come down hard on individuals previously convicted of a sex crime with a minor. In such cases, newly rehabilitated individuals may suffer unfair treatment and harsh penalties because of their past conviction.

A 20-year-old assistant football coach has been arrested and charged with unlawful sex with a minor. According to an ESPN news report, the Hart High School coach was arrested in Santa Clarita. Officials say the 20-year-old coach had sex with a 15-year-old student in a vehicle. The authorities believe this is an isolated incident and no other victims are expected to come forward. The coach now faces felony charges, including lewd acts with a child and unlawful sexual intercourse.

California Penal Code Section 261.5 defines unlawful sexual intercourse as “an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator, if the person is a minor.” This crime is a misdemeanor when the victim is within three years of age with the suspect. The law states that “any person who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is more than three years younger than the perpetrator is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony, and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.”

Allegations of unlawful sex with a minor can have long lasting social and professional ramifications for defendants. This type of allegation can be particularly damaging to someone who works with children, such as a teacher, coach, mentor, or tutor. Some common consequences of a sex crime conviction include prison time, hefty fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

A 43-year-old Fountain Valley woman has been charged with having sex with a 12-year-old boy. According to a news report in The Los Angeles Times, the woman has been charged with three felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years of age, along with a sentencing enhancement for “substantial sexual conduct with a child.” The woman is accused of having sex with the boy twice. The boy’s mother discovered the woman in a room with her son and found her kissing the boy. The mother became suspicious and alerted police, which led to the investigation and the subsequent arrest and charges.

California Penal Code Section 261.5 states: “Any person 21 years of age or older who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is under 16 years of age is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony, and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.”

In addition to incarceration, the consequences for sex with a minor include mandatory registration as a sex offender. Convicted sex offenders are often ostracized from society. The social, professional, and financial impact of a sex crime conviction can be significant. Getting a job, a professional license, or renting a home are challenges for convicted sex offenders. Several Orange County cities have even banned convicted sex offenders from entering city parks without getting prior police permission.

A 37-year-old swim coach has pleaded guilty to multiple offenses involving sex with a minor. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the Irvine man was sentenced in Orange County Superior Court to 16 months in state prison for having sex with a 15-year-old female student. Officials say the sexual encounters occurred between April 1, 2010 and February 18, 2011. After allegations were made against the man, the authorities interviewed other potential victims, but no additional charges were filed. The man pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of lewd acts on a child, three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

California Penal Code Section 288 states: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act…upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony.”

Individuals convicted of lewd acts with a minor often face a number of consequences, including jail time, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and heavy fines. Anyone facing serious sex crime charges involving minors should get an experienced criminal defense lawyer on his or her side right away so the charges can be aggressively fought.

Two brothers, ages 33 and 35, have been accused of lewd acts with young girls in Orange County. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the alleged sex crimes occurred between May 2010 and August 2011 in Fullerton. Officials say that the two brothers allegedly committed these acts with a 3-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl in a converted garage. The multiple charges the two men face include lewd acts on a child and sexual penetration of a child. They are being held on a $1-million bail in Orange County.

Lewd conduct according to California Penal Code section 288 includes, “any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

Individuals facing sex crime charges involving children often suffer professional and social consequences in addition to severe criminal penalties. The consequences for lewd behavior with a child under the age of 14 include prison time, heavy fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender for life.

A 38-year-old Ventura County man has pleaded not guilty to sex crimes involving a child under the age of 14. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the man pleaded not guilty to all charges including committing a lewd act on a child and copulation of a person under 14. He was booked at the Ventura County jail for the incident that allegedly occurred on June 1, 2011.

Lewd conduct in Los Angeles, according to California Penal Code section 288, includes “any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act … upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

It is important for the authorities to protect the youths of California, but it is also important that suspects in sex crime cases are offered a fair opportunity to defend themselves. It is common in cases involving children for false allegations to be made and for an individual’s reputation to be tarnished simply by of the accusation of a sex crime. Those convicted of sex crimes are also required to register as a sex offender and their information can be viewed by the public through the Department of Justice’s Megan’s Law database.

Performer Cecilio Rodriguez has pled not guilty in Compton Municipal Court to sex crime charges in connection with incidents that allegedly occurred more than a decade ago. According to a news report in The Concert Hotwire, Rodriguez has been accused of sex crimes with a girl between Nov. 6, 1997 and No. 5, 1999 and a second girl between May 6, 1996 and May 5, 1998. At the time of the alleged incidents, the girls were 5 and 8 years old, respectively. The singer faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted of these charges.

California Penal Code Section 288 states, “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

It is important that the children of California are protected from sexual predators. At the same time, it is also important that individuals charged with sex crimes are given a fair trial and that false allegations do not result in a wrongful conviction. A sex crime conviction, especially one involving minors or young children, can result in serious consequences including prison time, hefty fines, and mandatory sex offender registration for life. Sex offenders are often ostracized from the communities in which they live despite having served their time.

A 44-year-old Orange County mother has been charged with having sex with her son’s hockey teammates. According to an MSN news report, the alleged sex acts involved a minor under the age of 16 and another under the age of 14. The report states that the woman threw parties for son’s hockey team during which she provided alcohol. During an investigation into whether or not she had a sexual relationship for over a year and a half with a boy who is now 18, a younger boy stepped forward and told officials he had a sexual relationship with the woman as well.

In California, the charges someone may face for lewd acts with a minor are directly tied to the age of the victim. The most serious of the California Penal Code 288 laws involve conduct with a child under the age of 14. Child molestation, for example, may involve a lewd act with a child under 14 or a child who is 14 or 15 but is 10 years younger than the defendant. Individuals under the age of 18 cannot legally provide consent to have sex. In such cases, an adult who has sex with a minor can be charged with statutory rape in California – regardless of the defendant’s belief that the act was consensual.

The consequences of a sex crime charge can be devastating. Even if the defendant is not convicted, the allegations alone can have a tremendous impact on a person’s reputation. Fighting these types of charges can be challenging, not to mention emotionally devastating. The experienced Orange County sex crime defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan fight hard to protect the rights of our clients. If you or a loved one is facing a sex crime charge, please call our offices at 866-430-8383 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.

A 63-year-old math tutor has been arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with a student in La Palma, according to a news report in The Orange County Register. Officials say he owns a learning center in Norwalk. The arrest occurred after a child was allegedly overheard discussing inappropriate touching. Officials are looking into whether there were other victims.

According to California Penal Code Section 288: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for three, six, or eight years.”

Such sex crime charges can be devastating both personally and professionally for defendants. People who are in a position of trust or power or those who work with children are particularly vulnerable as simply an accusation of a lewd act or sexual assault can end careers for those who work with children. Consequences of a sex crime conviction in Orange County include imprisonment, fines and mandatory registration as a sex offender.