Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

A San Bernardino County judge recently increased the bail of a former sheriff's deputy accused of having sex with a teenage Explorer volunteer after he allegedly wrote about "revenge" and "payback" on a Facebook page, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sex crimes in Los Angeles and throughout California can have serious consequences, such as long prison sentences as well as registry in the state and national sex offender databases, which are viewable to all and can last forever. Hiring an experienced and aggressive Los Angeles Sex Crimes Defense Attorney should the first step for someone being investigated for, or charged with, these serious crimes.

According to the news article, the deputy, who was being held on $150,000 bail, had the bail increased by a judge to $350,000 after prosecutors provided a printout of the deputy's Facebook page with the comment.

The Facebook posting, according to prosecutors, appeared on a page in support of the deputy and was discovered by the alleged victim's father. According to the article, the deputy faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child and illegal sexual intercourse with a minor. The deputy has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Authorities allege the deputy had sex with the 15-year-old girl, who was a volunteer with the agency's Explorer program -- which is designed to teach teenagers the responsibilities of law enforcement officers. The program teaches young adults about the mission and objectives of law enforcement, leadership opportunities and community service activities, among other things.

This deputy, like anyone charged with a sex crime in Los Angeles and throughout California, faces serious consequences. Along with possible prison time, the deputy faces the possibility of having to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Unlike other charges, where a person can serve time in prison and get out having done their time, a person convicted of a sex offense is punished for life.

Having to register under Megan's Law means having your mug shot, address, tattoos and other information displayed on a web site forever, having to tell law enforcement whenever you're moving and the possible notification of neighbors is another consequence.

It can be humiliating and it is something a person must live with forever. Even murders aren't treated this way. Yet, people convicted of sex crimes are. There are more than 63,000 registered sex offenders in California and failure to register, even if someone legitimately forgets, can result in a new charge.

Under California Penal Code 261.5, a person convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor faces up to four years in prison. Under California Penal Code 288, a lewd and lascivious act is punishable by up to eight years in prison. Prosecutors may also seek enhanced sentences, depending on the facts of the case.

These charges are very serious and require an aggressive defense that includes scrutinizing all evidence, whether it's DNA reports, police investigations or the alleged victim's words. These cases can be beaten when police jump to conclusions and our firm is committed to exploring all aspects of our clients' cases.

Continue reading "Former Deputy's Bail Increased After Facebook Posting in Los Angeles Sex Case" »

An 81-year-old man was arrested last week after being accused of trying to lure a 12-year-old into his car in the Antelope Valley community of Littlerock, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The suspect, a Pearblossom resident, was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies on felony charges of attempted kidnapping of a child under 14 years old. He was booked and held on $1 million bail for the alleged Los Angeles sex crime.

Our Los Angeles sex crime attorneys understand that the 81-year-old had a history of sex offenses. He was already a registered sex offender in the area. The problem with this is the public perception of these people. Once you've been convicted of such a crime, whether the conviction was justified or not, there will always be a dark cloud looming over you.

Once these types of allegations are made, the public draws conclusions without significant evidence. These types of allegations have the ability to ruin a person's life. For this reason, it is critical for you to contact an experienced sex crime attorney in the wake of these serious allegations.

According to police, the girl was reportedly walking down the road, with her parents a short distance away, when the suspect pulled up next to her and asked if she wanted a ride. Deputy Daryl Bonsall of the Palmdale sheriff's office says that the girl declined and the suspect continued to drive slowly beside her. He sped away when the girl's mother approached to confront the suspect.

The mother reported the man's description to Palmdale sheriff's deputies. Deputies discovered a man who may have fit the description just a short distance away in Pearblossom.

Los Angeles officials took eight more convicted child molesters and registered sex into custody after a Wilmington motel raid. They were apprehended for alleged parole violations, including possession of child pornography or narcotics, reports the Los Angeles Times.

As previously reported on the Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyer Blog, most of those who were arrested in the motel bust were middle-aged men whose previous offenses included lewd and lascivious conduct with children or other sex crimes, said Det. Patricia Batts of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The bust went down at Harbor Inn in the 700 block of Flint Avenue. This motel has a reputation for housing offenders because of its history as a state-funded waystation for newly released prisoners, according to Batts said.

Authorities had received reports of children coming in and out the area. No evidence turned up proving those reports.

Officers from the Inglewood, Long Beach, Montebello and Los Angeles police departments, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, the L.A. County Probation Department and the Department of Children and Family Services took part in the raid.

Continue reading "Officials Nab 9 Already Convicted of Sex Crimes in Los Angeles" »

Eight people were taken into custody recently by Los Angeles Police after a raid on a Wilmington motel that was home to dozens of convicted child molesters and registered sex offenders, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Once a person has been convicted of a sex crime -- whether it's an 18-year-old who has sex with a 16-year-old or a person who commits a violent rape -- they can be labeled a sex offender and be required to provide information to local law enforcement authorities; typically they will also be subjected to registration in state national databases of other sex offenders.

Pasadena Sex Offender Defense Lawyers believe that while sex crimes are dangerous, making every person who is convicted of a sex crime be branded with a scarlet letter is inherently unfair. And failing to notify law enforcement can result in jail time. That's why aggressively defending sex crimes in Pasadena is so crucial.

According to The Times, police raided The Harbor Inn recently and found stuffed animals, teen magazines, pornography and children's underwear among other items. Police reported that most of the men arrested had previously been convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct with children. They surmised that the items were to be used to lure young children.

According to the Sex Offender Registration Act, which is governed by California Penal Code 290, requires people who have been convicted of a list of crimes to register as sex offenders. According to the California Sex Offenders Registry, there are more than 63,000 people registered in California.

This registry guarantees that a sex offender will be paying for a conviction for the rest of his or her life. While other types of crimes allow people to serve their time and move on with life, sex offenses do not.

The law governs where they can live, where they can travel, what types of jobs they can have and other things for the rest of their lives. Not being able to visit relatives who have children can be another consequence.

Because they must notify law enforcement when they move into a town or when they are planning to leave a city, every neighbor knows they have been convicted of this type of crime. They get long stares and sometimes are discriminated against. And often, they were convicted decades ago and have been a law-abiding citizen since.

This is why hiring the right Pasadena Sex Crimes Lawyers up front is such an important decision. We have years of experience in the criminal justice system and focus much of our time dedicated to the criminal defense of sex crimes. We will attack the evidence police and prosecutors intend to rely on to secure a conviction.

That ranges from DNA evidence to eyewitness accounts to the credibility of the alleged victim. Taking this crime lightly could result in years in prison followed by a life on constant monitoring and ridicule. Protect your rights and call our law firm today.

Continue reading "Sex Offender Raid in Wilmington Leads to Parole Violation Arrests" »

The Mercury News is reporting that two new bills that will toughen the restrictions faced by convicted sex offenders are among those Sacramento lawmakers will consider this year.

You can bet they will pass. Probably unanimously. Our Fontana criminal defense lawyers are dedicated to the belief that each defendant, no matter the crime, deserves immediate access to high-quality legal representation. And, having paid their debt to society, each defendant deserves to start fresh.

Unfortunately, sex offenders are rarely given the opportunity. California' sex-offender notification requirements virtually guarantee that a defendant will be paying for a conviction for years to come, if not for the rest of his life. That's why it is so imperative to fight to keep a sexually-oriented offense, no matter how minor, off your criminal record.

Two more proposed requirements for those labeled sexually violent predators include:

-AB885: Would require an offender's driver's license or identification card by branded with a notation visible to law enforcement. A similar proposal made it through the House last year but failed to clear the Senate in time to become law. Offenders may be made to pay for the program through higher fees.

-AB884:This proposal would require law enforcement to provide written notice to neighbors living within 1,000 feet of a paroled offender within five days of his moving into the area. Nearby schools and daycare centers would also be notified.

Continue reading "Proposed laws target California Sex Offenders with more sanctions" »

An Army veteran who read to children for Veteran's Day was arrested after authorities found out he was a registered sex offender, UPI reported.

Our Orange County criminal defense attorneys understand the long-term consequences being charged with a sex crime can have for a defendant. More than many other types of criminal offenses, a defendant continues to pay for a sex-crime conviction long after the fact. The stipulations of sex-offender notification alone may virtually guarantee that a convicted offender runs afoul of the law. Or at the very least, is subjected to the stigma of having been convicted of a sex offense for years, or even decades after the fact.

In this case, the 56-year-old retired army major was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office on suspicion of entering school grounds as a registered sex offender. He had gone to Los Altos Elementary to read at the school's "heroes day" in honor of Veteran's Day. The Los Angeles Times reported the veteran was convicted in San Diego County in 2000 for attempted lewd acts on a child under the age of 14.

Deputies investigated and made the arrest long after the November visit. In fact the investigation was opened after they heard of the event last week.

Continue reading "Military Veteran charged as a sex offender for reading to school kids on Veteran's Day" »