LOS ANGELES — A grand jury indicted a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy on charges of sexually assaulting four girls in a case that prosecutors had declined to pursue a decade ago, officials said Thursday.
Sean Essex, 51, has been formally charged with 18 counts of oral copulation of a child, 12 counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14, two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and one count of possession of material depicting a child sex act, according to a statement by District Attorney George Gascón.
The county prosecutor also revealed that the “charges include a victim who reported the abuse in 2006 but the case was previously declined by our office.”
The victims were between the ages of 7 and 13 at the time of the crimes, authorities said.
“Sexually assaulting a child not only robs them of their innocence but also leaves lasting mental trauma,” Gascón said in a statement.
“This is one of the most egregious crimes my office encounters and it is made worse when the crime is committed by someone who has been entrusted to protect them and our community from harm.”
The suspect is being held without bail at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown L.A., jail records showed. He’s due in court on Sept. 1.
Essex made his initial court appearance Thursday morning and pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors said.
Representatives of the union representing deputies could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.
“Mr. Sean Essex does not reflect the values of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department or those of the dedicated men and women in law enforcement who proudly serve our communities each day,” according to a sheriff’s statement.
“Currently, Mr. Sean Essex is relieved of duty and the Department is in the process of removing his pay.”
Earlier this year, a man in Long Beach filed for a restraining order against Essex, claiming he “has been sexually assaulting my 3 daughters (ages 13, 11 and 11) for the past 6 years.”
“The respondent was like a father figure to my three daughters,” the father wrote. “The respondent is a Deputy for LA County Sheriff.”
Essex’s prosecution comes as DA Gascón fights a recall effort, seeking to remove him from the office he won less than two years ago.
Signatures for the recall have been submitted and they’re being verified by the L.A. County registrar. There’s been no announcement yet on whether the effort has qualified for the November ballot.
Gascón is a former Los Angeles police officer an assistant chief, who has also served as district attorney of San Francisco.
Andrew Blankstein reported from Los Angeles and David K. Li from New York City.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
