Articles Posted in Sex Crime

A former youth church pastor has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for having sex with a 17-year-old girl he met through his youth ministry, according to this news report. Daniel John Pedroza, 28, pleaded guilty to three California felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of oral copulation of a minor and one count of sexual penetration by foreign object of a minor. Prosecutors asked the judge to give Pedroza a one-year-sentence. But the judge gave him 90 days and placed him on five years of probation.

Pedroza apparently met the girl at the Capistrano Beach church. Their relationship is said to have taken place between July 1 and December 1 at his home and hers when her parents were not home, prosecutors said. The girl told about their sexual relationship to Orange County Social Services staff. Pedroza was then fired by the church and charged.

Sex crimes in Orange County are among those that have the most serious consequences and almost all will involve jail time. Punishment for a sex crime offender depends on the type of crime alleged. A misdemeanor sex crime conviction could result in up to one year of county jail time. A rape, sexual assault or child sex abuse allegation can result in lengthy prison time.

Michael Jackson, 24, of Chino Hills was arrested after he allegedly attempted to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports. Jackson was reportedly arrested after police say he attempted to kiss and entice a 13-year-old girl into having sex, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said. Jackson was apparently at the door of the girl’s house selling magazines. The girl told officials that when she opened the door, Jackson made sexual advances and tried to get her to come out of the house.

Sex crimes in California are criminal offenses that are of a sexual nature. They vary in type and by severity of prosecution and punishment. Many of the commonly known crimes that fall into this category are rape, sexual battery, lewd contact, child molestation, prostitution, lewd acts and indecent exposure.

Consequences for a sex crime conviction can be quite severe. Apart from jail time and other hefty penalties, you will also be required to register as a sex offender, which means your name, address and photo could get on a public database. If you have been charged or accused of a sex crime in Southern California, please call Sitkoff & Hanrahan to find out how we can help you. We have extensive experience in handling sex offense cases. We will provide early preparation, including legal research and defense identification. Our Los Angeles sex crime defense attorneys will investigate and identify all facts helpful to your defense. Please call us today at 866-299-4111 for a free consultation.

Police in Wildomar arrested an Orange County sheriff’s deputy on suspicion of committing California sex crimes against a child younger than 14 years of age, the North County Times reports in a story. Wilbert Dale Garcia, 49, was arrested during a traffic stop in Murrieta. Garcia was placed on administrative leave following his arrest.

Sex crime charges are extremely serious because of the consequences. If convicted of committing lewd or sexual acts on children, you could be sentenced to serve time in prison, your reputation will be tarnished, your career could be in jeopardy and you will very likely be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life. That is why, if you have been charged with committing a sexual crime against a child, you need a reputed and skilled Southern California criminal defense attorney, who has experience aggressively defending sex crime charges.

California Penal Code Section 288 (a) defines lewd act with a child under 14 as such: “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.”

A sex offender who recently moved to Joshua Tree was arrested after he ignored police officials’ warnings that he should not move next to an elementary school. Rowland Chorn, 29, was arrested on suspicion of failing to comply with California sex offender registration guidelines, according to this news report. Chorn apparently came into the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s station to register his new address, but deputies objected because his home was too close to the Joshua Tree Elementary School and Sunburst Park. Jessica’s Law bans sex offenders from living within 2,640 feet of a school and within 2,000 feet from a park.

The tag “sex offender” doesn’t come of after your conviction, incarceration or even after you serve time. You may think you have turned a corner or may have even served time for a sex crime you did not commit. But society is unforgiving and your sex offender label stays forever. It is becoming increasingly difficult for those who have been convicted of sex crimes in California to find housing. Many live on the streets as transients. This is probably the most devastating consequence of being convicted of a sex crime.

If you have been charged with a sex crime, it is critical that you immediately consult with an aggressive and skilled Southern California sex crime defense attorney. It would be even better if you contact an attorney while you are still being investigated. A skilled criminal defense lawyer may be able to nip the case in the bud even before charges are filed or before the story gets to the media and your reputation is dragged in the mud. At Sitkoff & Hanrahan. our attorneys are former prosecutors who know exactly how to find loopholes and discrepancies in the prosecution’s case. Call us today at 888-579-4844 to discuss your case. We will help build a strong defense and get your charges dismissed.

Chase Guy Reynolds, a 40-year-old Malibu man, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault of a Santa Monica college student on campus, the Los Angeles Daily News reports in an article. Reynolds has been charged with two counts of sexual battery by restraint, one count of attempted sexual penetration by a foreign object and one count of second-degree robbery. Prosecutors say Reynolds approached the female student in the college’s library, sexually assaulted her and then stole her house key. If convicted, Reynolds faces up to 13 years in prison for his Los Angeles sex crime.

California Penal Code section 243.4 (a) defines the act of sexual battery as when a person “touches an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained by the accused or an accomplice, and if the touching is against the will of the person touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification or sexual abuse.” Given the allegedly violent nature of this particular Santa Monica incident, the defendant is facing more severe charges.

In any sex crime case, there is a strong possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. This is exactly what raises the stakes in a sex crime case. If you have been charged with any sex crime such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, lewd conduct or sexual abuse, you would be well-advised to immediately contact an experienced Southern California criminal defense lawyer who will not only fight to protect your legal rights, but also make sure that your side of the story is heard and understood.