California Criminal Defense AttorneysMan Convicted of Lewd Acts in Orange County Water Park
A 32-year-old Downey man has been convicted of performing lewd acts on a teenage girl in an Orange County water park, according to a news report in The Orange County Register. The man was convicted of rubbing up against a girl and attempting to do the same with another girl. Prosecutors said during the trial that the parents of the two girls pulled their daughters from the wave pool in the park after they saw the man close to the girls. He faces up to three years and four months in prison. The defense attorney argued that the touching was inadvertent and was caused by the wave action in the pool. His sentencing has been scheduled for June 17.
This story is an example of how even an inadvertent act in a public place like a water park could have serious consequences. According to California Penal Code Section 288 (a): “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act…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.”
Sex crimes against children carry severe consequences including a lengthy state prison sentence, hefty fines, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Since the stakes are extremely high, it is critical that anyone who has been accused of a sex crime against a child immediately contact an experienced Orange County sex crime defense lawyer to learn more about the legal options available to them.
The reputed attorneys of Sitkoff & Hanrahan have successfully represented many who have been accused of serious sex crimes in California. We use our decades of experience as prosecutors and trial attorneys to work toward the best possible outcome for our clients – be it acquittal or getting the charges reduced. If you or a loved one has been accused of a sex crime in Los Angeles, Orange, or Ventura County, please call 866-430-8383 for a free and comprehensive consultation.