Recent Posts in Child Sex Crimes Category

In Minnesota, it is reported that a man that was accused of sexually assaulting a 12 year old girl died in jail.  The girl reportedly used her iPod and Facebook to get help.

This week, 42 year old Raymond Ernest Cesmat was found dead in his jail cell.  Cesmat used a bed sheet to hang himself this past Tuesday.  He had been alone when the incident occurred.  Jail officials found his body during a routine check on inmates.

Prior to committing suicide, Cesmat was charged with two counts of sexual conduct in the first degree.  If he was convicted, he would have faced 30 years of jail time for each offense.

On July 10^th, the victim was alone in her house with Cesmat, her mother's former boyfriend.  Despite their break up, Cesmat continued to rent the home with the girl's mother.  The girl told police that Cesmat had taken her phone when she went to bed because he didn't want her texting all night. 

She said that Cesmat entered her room naked and tried to remove her pants.  She kicked him and screamed.  When he left her room, she used her iPod and Facebook to summon help by contacting Cesmat's daughter.

Charged with a sex crime in Los Angeles?  Contact Okabe & Haushalter to discuss your case with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

This Wednesday, a 49 year old man by the name of Blaine Kelley Beckham was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and grand theft.  Police say that the arrest occurred after Beckham crashed a stolen car on San Timoteo Road.

Prior to the crash, a green 1993 Honda Accord was reported as stolen.  When police arrived at the scene of the crash, witnesses told them that they saw a driver leave the scene earlier.  Minutes later, officers found Beckham. 

Police say that the car was reported stolen in Colorado.  However, Beckham was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. He also has a no-fugitive warrant from Los Angeles County for failure to register as a sexual offender as he was convicted of committing a lewd act with a child under 14 years of age. 

If you are in need of DUI defense in Los Angeles County, contact Okabe & Haushalter to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

This week in Long Beach, California, a jury decided to convict a man that stood accused of repeatedly raping his niece and her two friends.  The girls were between the ages of 14 and 16 when the rape took place.

The jury presiding over the case took 90 minutes to convict the defendant, Carlos Aguirre Jr.  He was charged with 12 felony counts which included rape, possession of drugs for sale and possession of child pornography.  Now, he will face a life sentence for his crimes.

According to authorities, Aguirre (25) raped the girls between 2004 and 2006.  However, it is reported that he had started molesting his niece when she was only 5 years old.  Investigators say that they found pornographic images on Aguirre's computer, including an 18 minute video that shows the victim being raped by Aguirre and a 12 year old boy.

Have you been charged with sex crimes in Los Angeles?  If so, now is the time to contact Okabe & Haushalter and arrange a time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - it is reported that a man by the name of Arthur Neal has been sentenced with 30 years of jail time for producing child pornography.

Back in January, 47 year old Neal pled guilty to his sex crime charges.  This week, he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Linda Reade.

Neal was accused of producing pornography with a girl he babysat for multiple years.  He was sentenced to a maximum sentence based on his sadistic and masochistic conduct, his criminal history and the fact that the abuse was ongoing also enhanced his sentence.

Reade said that Neal poses a "significant danger to children".  At this time, the victim is in a residential treatment program.  She called the court to give a victim's impact statement and said that she had resorted to using drugs because she cannot cope with the sexual abuse she had to go through due to Neal.

If you are in need of sex crimes defense in Los Angeles, now is the time to contact Okabe & Haushalter and discuss your offense with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

Recently, a Los Angeles County child abuse investigator was arrested for sex crimes.  The investigator, 45 year old Rod Carter, was arrested for suspicion of having sex with a 15 year old girl this past Sunday.  After paying bail, Carter was released from police custody.

According to Lt. Dan Keil, police found Carter and the victim having intercourse in a parked car.  They are still trying to determine if the girl was a prostitute or not.

At the time of the incident, the county Department of Children and Family Services say Carter was not on duty.  They also say that the 15 year old is not involved in the child welfare system. On Thursday, Carter refused to comment on the arrest.  He did say that he will be fired and has no plans to contest his termination because it is appropriate given the allegations.

Have you been charged with sex crimes involving a minor?  Now is the time to secure representation from a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.  Simply contact Okabe & Haushalter now!

In San Diego, a man from Oceanside that was investigated by authorities for illegal chemic sales on the Internet has been convicted by a federal jury.  The man, 45 year old David Grummer, was charged with 23 counts of child pornography.

According to U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, Grummer was convicted on Thursday.  His charges included 18 counts of receiving child pornography and 5 counts of possession of child pornography.  Each of his receiving child pornography counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and the possession of child pornography counts have a maximum of 10 years jail time.

Initially, the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency investigated Grummer for illegal sales of chlordane and DDT over the web.  However, while conducting investigations, they found pornography on Grummer's computers.  He was arrested on December 5, 1008 and will be sentenced on September 17^th.

Facing child pornography charges in Los Angeles?  If so, contact Okabe & Haushalter and arrange a time to meet with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

In Fort Worth, a 56 year old man by the name of Jack Zimmerman has pled guilty to charges of luring a minor.  Police say that Zimmerman lured a 14 year old girl into a van and then engaged in sex acts with her.  He also photographed and filmed the sexual activities.

This week, Zimmerman pled guilty to one count of enticing a minor and one count of production of child pornography. 

According to documents filed with the court, Zimmerman girl met the girl online in an internet chat room.  He fraudulently poses as an 18 year old from Dallas.  After Zimmerman's arrest in December of 2009, police discovered illicit images on his digital camera.

Prosecutors say that Zimmerman faces a 30 year prison sentence if the court agrees to accept his plea bargain.  Sentencing has been scheduled for October 2010.

Have you been charged with a serious sex crime?  If you answered "yes", do not waste any time.  Contact Okabe & Haushalter to schedule a consultation with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer from our team.

In Sacramento, it is reported that a 54 year old man by the name of Edwin Lionel Chartier has been sentenced with 16 years of prison time.  At this time, Chartier is serving the first weekend of his sentence after being convicted for molesting three young girls.

In May, Chartier pled guilty to three counts of child molestation.  It is reported that he had inappropriate sexual contact with three girls below the age of 14.  The molestations occurred between 2006 and 2009.

During Chartier's sentencing hearing on Wednesday, his victims tearfully addressed the court.  One of the girls spoke directly to the judge and said that she hoped Chartier would never get out of prison.  Aside from having to serve time in prison, Chartier will have to register as a convicted sex offender in California.

If you have been charged with a sexual offense involving a child, it is important that you retain representation from a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.  Contact Okabe & Haushalter immediately to receive the representation you deserve.

Last month, photos appear on the internet that showed actress Emma Watson nude.  The photos were in fact doctored and now the man who created the photos has been charged with child pornography.  The charges were brought against the man, 39 year old John Cavanaugh, because he superimposed an image of the Watson's head on top of an underage girl.

Cavanaugh has pled guilty to 19 counts of illegally creating an indecent image of a child.  Police say that the photos were found on Cavanaugh's computer after an eviction attempt.  The judge presiding over Cavanaugh's case said, "Miss Watson will be very distressed to know what you have been doing."

Watson is most infamously known for her role as Hermoine Granger in the hit Harry Potter series.  She is 20 years of age.

If you have been charged with a sex crime such as child pornography, now is the time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter.  Contact our firm now!

In the city of Sacramento, proposed legislation that would have banned sexual offenders from using social networking sites, like Facebook, has died in an Assembly committee.

This Friday, it is reported that the Assembly Appropriations Committee held two Democratic bills on the issue due to cost concerns.  In order to be considered by the entire assembly, the legislation needed the committee's approval. 

Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani told news sources that if it had passed, the legislation would have prohibited sex offenders from using the internet to communicate with minors via social networking sites.  The measure would have also cut down on sexual offenders accessing pornography, but would have cost $20 million a year to implement in California.

Have you been charged with a sex crime in Los Angeles?  If so, your best option is to consult with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who has handled numerous other sex crime cases, like the lawyers at Okabe & Haushalter. Contact our law office today to get the legal advice and representation you need to fight your sex crime charges!

This past Monday, a man in the state of Indiana who was charged with child pornography was sentenced to 38 years imprisonment.  The man, 48 year old Dale Russell, was charged with this serious sex crime after he conducted "modeling sessions" with minors whose images were then placed on websites.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Russell was convicted after a six year long investigation.  Numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the state, and even abroad, worked together to build a case against Russell.

During the investigation, Russell fled to Mexico from 2007 to 2009.  He was expelled from the country and returned to the United States, where he was placed under arrest in California.

Police say that Russell had produced child pornography on four separate occasions with two female victims.  The images he produced were found on the computer of another sex crime offender in Canada.  Aside from his sentence, Russell has been forbidden from having contact with minors once he is released from prison.

If you have been charged with a serious sex crime, now is the time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter.  Contact us today to learn more about possible defenses and your rights.

Authorities have arrested a rabbi in Gilbert, Arizona accused of raping a 7-year-old girl a decade ago.

Because the alleged crime occurred in New York City, U.S. Marshals and detectives from the New York Police Department were assigned to the case. They arrested Rabbi Bryan Bramley outside Temple Beth Shalom Synagogue in Gilbert.

The victim claims she was raped while spending the night at Bramley's family home in New York when she was just 7 years old. But it wasn't until last summer when the victim, now 17, finally came forward to report the incident.

Bramley is being held in the Maricopa County Jail in Arizona pending his extradition to New York City. If convicted of the charges, Bramley could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, thousands of dollars in fines, probation, and mandatory registration as a sex offender for life.

Aggressive Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers Serving Los Angeles

If you or a loved one has been accused of rape or statutory rape, you can trust a Los Angeles sex crimes attorney at Okabe & Haushalter to vigorously fight your charges. We understand that felony sex crimes that like statutory rape must be aggressively defended from all angles, and are committed to doing whatever is legally necessary to ensure our clients are provided with the strongest defense possible. With your rights, freedom, and reputation on the line, trust your case to a law firm that not only has a great deal of criminal defense experience, but that also has helped countless successfully overcome their charges.

Contact Okabe & Haushalter today at (310) 543-7708 to schedule a consultation to discuss your case!

Last month, the manager of a bowling alley in Arizona pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and engaging in indecent acts with a minor.

After entering his plea, 36-year-old William O’Rourke was handcuffed and taken into custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes on March 26 in Pima County Superior Court before Judge Howard Fell.

O’Rourke faces between 10 and 24 years in prison just for the child pornography charge. He is likely to face additional years in prison for the indecent sexual activity with a 12-year-old boy. But even if O’Rourke is on his best behavior, the judge told him that prison is 100% certain, meaning it is unlikely he’ll be able to get any time off for good behavior.

As you can see, judges take child pornography charges extremely seriously. If you have been accused of possessing child pornography in Los Angeles or South Bay, nothing is more important than speaking with a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer right away. At Okabe & Haushalter, we devote a large portion of our practice to child pornography and sex crimes defense, and have the experience, knowledge and resources to provide anyone facing these types of charges with the effective representation they need during this unsettling time.

To learn more about our criminal defense, please do not hesitate to contact a Los Angeles child pornography defense attorney at our office today!

An Anaheim man is in police custody after luring a minor into a hotel and raping her.

The suspect, 33-year-old Matthew Martinez Casteneda, allegedly used the social networking site MySpace to convince the 12-year-old girl to meet him at the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa.

According to Anaheim police, Casteneda took the girl to Zaby’s Motor Lodge where he raped her. After they had sex, Casteneda left the victim at the hotel stranded without her bus pass. Police say she was able to flag down a civilian police traffic controller for help.

The victim didn’t reveal what happened right away. What had occurred in the hotel room was only revealed after police connected the girl to a missing persons report.

A former gymnastics coach has been convicted of having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 16 year old girl.

According to Orange County prosecutors, 37-year-old Jason Wayne Scofield met the girl while working as a coach at Wildfire Gymnastics in Tustin. His sexual relationship with the teen lasted from February 2009 through the end of June 2009.

The girl’s parents alerted police after receiving a concerned e-mail from one of their daughter’s friends. At the time police were notified, Scofield had already quite his job at the gym and joined the Army. He was living in Arizona when investigators came looking for him.

After obtaining a warrant, police went to Arizona to arrest Scofield and bring him back to Orange County to face his charges. He pleaded guilty to the felony charges and will likely be sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation. A judge has scheduled his sentencing hearing for March 30.

A man will stand trial in Los Angeles after admitting to the FBI that he paid to have sex with a 14-year-old girl and several other children in Cambodia.

Michael Dodd, 59, is accused of traveling overseas to have sex with a minor. Dodd was in Cambodia teaching English when he was arrested by Cambodian authorities in 2008. A Cambodian court convicted Dodd of having a sexual relationship with the 14-year-old girl.

He has since been turned over to the U.S. and is now back on U.S. soil.  It has not yet been reported when Dodd’s U.S. trial is scheduled to be begin.

A man suspected of molesting at least four young girls in the Westlake area was recently caught and arrested.

For more than two years police have been searching for Daniel Merino, 41. Merino was accused of approaching at least four girls, each around the age of 9 or 10, and then sexually assaulting them. According to police, all four girls were walking alone when Merino approached them. After starting up a conversation Merino would then try to lure the girls into a car or building or would sexually assault them as they were walking.

Police were able to track down Merino after video surveillance caught him trying to leave a building after attempting to molest a victim. The image was circulated and, using a high-tech license plate scanner, police were able to track Merino’s location.

Merino was arrested and charged with kidnapping for sexual assault. He is being held on $4 million bail. If he is convicted of the charges he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, as well as be ordered to register as a sex offender, probably for the rest of his life.

A registered sex offender is back in court again after soliciting oral sex from a 12-year-old girl.

According to police, the girl’s mother said 41-year-old Marco Julio Gonzalez offered her daughter $1,000 for oral sex last year, and ever since neighbors have been keeping an eye out for him.

When Gonzalez returned to the housing project where the girl lives last week, a resident recognized his vehicle and wrote down the license plate number.

Gonzales was eventually arrested and charged with soliciting sex from a minor. He was released on $40,000 bond the same day he was taken into custody.

Gonzales’ previous conviction was for indecent exposure.

A Nebraska woman is facing felony charges after her 15-year-old son told his counselor that she used to have sex with him nightly when he was in 7 ^th and 8 ^th grade.

The boy, now 15, said his mother was addicted to prescription drugs during the years she would have sex with him.

The woman, whose name has not been revealed to protect her son, was arrested Monday and booked in Douglas County Court. Her bond was set at $30,000. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 8.

Court records show the woman is no stranger to the courtroom.  This time last year she pleaded no contest to intentionally violating narcotics laws for trying to fill multiple prescriptions from seven different doctors. She was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to attend AA meetings as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Statutory Rape

Any time an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor (someone under the age of 18) it is considered statutory rape. It does not matter whether the sexual acts were consensual or non-consensual. If you have sex with a minor, you will be charged with statutory rape.

At Okabe & Haushalter, we are committed to defending the rights of those accused of statutory rape and other sex crimes in Los Angeles and South Bay. If you are interested in learning more about our aggressive defense services, please contact Okabe & Haushalter today to schedule a consultation with an experienced Los Angeles sex crime defense lawyer at the firm!