LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant is accused of fondling a deputy he supervised and forcing her to provide sexual favors in their workplace in exchange for his approving her time-off requests, it was reported Tuesday.
Sgt. Michael John Spina was arrested Aug. 9 and charged with two counts of sexual battery and one count each of false imprisonment and indecent exposure tied to his actions with the female employee, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a district attorney’s memorandum. He was placed on administrative leave Wednesday.
Spina, 37, was working at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in July 2016 when he ordered a female deputy into his office and locked the door, telling her she “owed” him for giving her a day off, according to the document written by Deputy District Attorney Sean Hassett and cited by The Times.
Spina touched the woman’s breast over her shirt while watching a pornographic video and masturbating, the memo says. The woman said that five months prior, Spina demanded similar treatment, and she complied out of fear that her day off would not be approved.
Spina is also accused of inappropriately touching the deputy in June 2016 and asking if he could perform a sexual act on her, to which she repeatedly said “no.”
The case, first reported by the website Witness LA, was investigated by the Sheriff’s Department’s internal criminal investigations bureau, which referred the matter to the district attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division, which handles alleged crimes by law enforcement officials, The Times reported. The charges, however, are being prosecuted by the Los Angeles city attorney’s office — not the District attorney’s Office — because they’re misdemeanors.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be monitoring the criminal proceedings closely and take “appropriate and swift action” when the outcome of the judicial process is determined … according to sheriff’s department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. Spina is scheduled to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court on or before Sept 27.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department expects all of its members to hold themselves to the highest ethical and professional standards at all times and has a comprehensive Policy of Equality for reporting alleged incidents of this nature,” Nishida said.
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Marty says
“… I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t fondle the deputy,” to the tune of Eric Clapton!
Tim Scott says
He must really have a thing for uniforms. Usually deputies just use this kind of coercion for sexual favors from civilians.
Shane Falco says
Tell us, Tim, where did the bad deputy touch you when you were arrested and jailed?
Tim Scott says
Tell us Bob, what is it that makes you think “Tim is offended by a sexual predator using cover of authority…he must be a criminal”? Or do you just think that sexual predators with badges are so cool that you are compelled to defend them even if you can’t put together a sensible argument?
Tim Scott says
So Bob…is your commitment to defending this Spina guy just your usual badge licking, or is it that you respect him as a sexual predator?
alex says
You didn’t have a problem with this kind of behavior when it was a teacher coercing a student.
Tim Scott says
Aaaaaaand…here come the usual “cops can do no wrong” suspects to defend this guy.
Anyone surprised?
A Fool For Foolco says
Foolco supports the AV ‘power team’ of Rex, Marv, Hoffbauer, and Bishop. What do you expect from someone who backs that foursome?
Shane Falco says
No, Tim, I think the guy is a cockroach who tarnished his badge.
I also think that the other women who willingly did quid pro quo trades for extra RDO should be fired.
If you’re an adult, given and gun, badge and training (lots and lots of sexual harassment training) and you barter sex for extra time off, you show horrible judgment.
He was relieved of duty over a year ago. The other women should be too.