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Conviction upheld for man who kidnapped, raped girl in Lancaster

by City News Service • November 23, 2015

Charles James
Charles James

LOS ANGELES  A state appeals court panel on Friday upheld a man’s conviction for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was grabbed by her ponytail while she was walking to school in Lancaster nearly three years ago.

A three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s contention that the trial court erred by allowing jurors in Charles Delshawn James’ trial to hear what the teenager told an examining nurse at Antelope Valley Hospital after the Dec. 13, 2012, attack.

In a nine-page ruling, the appellate court justices noted that jurors also heard “far more detail about her assault” during the victim’s testimony than what was related through the nurse, and that both accounts were consistent.

“Thus, excluding the challenged testimony would have had no effect whatsoever on the evidentiary landscape,” the panel found.

James, now 33, grabbed the girl by her ponytail and dragged her into some bushes, where he sodomized her on Dec. 13, 2012, according to testimony. He threatened during the attack to kill the girl and her family if she said anything, Deputy District Attorney Keri Knittel said after the verdict.

Forensic evidence led police to James, who was arrested in South Carolina days after the attack.

He was convicted in May 2014 of kidnapping for sodomy, forcible sodomy of a minor, lewd act on a child, attempted sexual penetration by a foreign object and dissuading a witness by force or threat.

Jurors also found true the allegations of kidnapping a minor and aggravated kidnapping.

In June 2014, James was sentenced to 82 years to life in state prison.

Previous related stories:

Lancaster rapist gets 82 years

Lancaster man guilty of sexually assaulting girl walking to school

James to stand trial in sexual assault of girl walking to school

Man charged in sexual assault of girl walking to school

Officials arrest suspect in sexual assault of girl

Girl sexually assaulted walking to school in Lancaster

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Lancaster

2 comments for "Conviction upheld for man who kidnapped, raped girl in Lancaster"

  1. here's a tip says

    November 25, 2015 at 7:59 am

    his ghetto sister works and is the front desk beauty instructor at lancaster beauty her bane is Nicole James .she is just as ghetto and thinks he didn’t do it

  2. HEY Bob says

    November 24, 2015 at 7:41 am

    HERES A TRUE SCAMBAG!!

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