A 21-year-old Orange County man has been charged with exposing himself to minors. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the man was arrested in Fullerton after he reportedly exposed himself to young girls on their way to school. Officials say the man failed to appear in court for misdemeanor indecent exposure charges. Police also report there may be other victims as well, and are encouraging them to come forward. The defendant faces seven counts of child annoyance and two counts of lewd conduct in a public place.
California Penal Code Section 647 states that it is illegal to engage in “lewd or dissolute conduct in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view.” When the victim is a minor, there may be additional penalties. Under California Penal Code Section 288, anyone who commits a lewd act in public and the victim is 14-years-old or younger, and the person committing the act is 10 years older or more than the child “is guilty of a public offense and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.”
Being charged with a sex crime in Orange County is serious. Conviction of a sex crime charge could lead to prison time, heavy fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Needless to say, an individual’s reputation could be permanently tarnished, which can impact a person’s career and social life forever.
If you are facing indecent exposure charges, please contact the experienced California indecent exposure defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan for a free, comprehensive and completely confidential consultation. We have helped numerous clients facing serious sex crime charges. Contact at 1-866-430-8383 to discuss your legal rights and options right away.