New Technology Allows LAPD to Identify Suspect in Two-Year Serial Molestation Case

Using state-of-the-art technology, Los Angeles police were able to identify and arrest a suspect in the attempted kidnapping and molestation of at least four young girls over the last two years. Based on an LA Times story, the suspect in these incidents managed to evade the LAPD since February of 2008. But because of new technology, a 41-year-old man was recently accused of the sex offense of luring a 10-year-old girl into an apartment complex and attempting to sexually assault her; an alleged incident that took place in November of last year.

The Los Angeles Police Department recently acquired a new police car equipped with a mechanism that will read and record the license place of every vehicle that passes by it. The LAPD examined footage from security cameras at the scene of the November assault, and generated a list of 1,700 vehicles matching the assailant’s car and within the vicinity of the sexual assault crime.

Using the new license-plate-reading police car, the LAPD identified a car matching the assailant’s car’s description within four miles of the incident. DMV records revealed that the owner of the car matched the physical description of the sex offense suspect, and upon further inspection, evidence was found linking him to the four attempted molestation crimes. He is currently incarcerated and awaiting trial.

Sex crimes, particularly those committed against a minor, are treated with much more gravity in California law and tend to carry heftier sentences than other classifications of crimes. Sentencing aside, after release, convicted sex offenders are required to indefinitely register their whereabouts in a publicly disclosed forum. Registering as a sex offender can impose several challenges for a person to overcome. Even after their release, convicted sex offenders can face discrimination in the job and housing markets. If you are convicted of a sex-related crime, you should talk to an experienced Los Angeles County sex crimes defense lawyer. Call the attorneys of Sitkoff & Hanrahan. at 866-430-8383 for a free consultation.

Source report: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/03/local/la-me-spikey-hair3-2010feb03