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.
The skilled Orange County sex crime defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have a long history of handling sex crime cases throughout Southern California. Our knowledgeable attorneys know how to fight wrongful charges,negotiate pleas, and lessen penalties. If you or a loved one is facing sex crime charges in California, please do not hesitate to call our offices at (866)430-8383 for a no-cost consultation and comprehensive case assessment.