The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

Sheriff’s deputy indicted on sex-related charges involving 4 girls

by City News Service • August 10, 2022 2 Comments

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a grand jury indictment charging him with sex-related offenses involving four girls between 2006 and this year.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta ordered Sean Essex, 51, to be held without bail pending a Sept. 1 bail review hearing. The judge noted that Essex is facing “multiple life sentences” if convicted as charged.

The grand jury indictment, handed up Tuesday and unsealed Wednesday, charges Essex with 33 counts, including continuous sexual abuse, oral copulation with a child under 10, lewd act on a child and possession of child or youth pornography. The indictment refers to the alleged victims as “Jane Doe 1,” “Jane Doe 2,” “Jane Doe 3” and “Jane Doe 4.” Three of the alleged victims are related to a woman Essex dated about 20 years ago, Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson told the judge in requesting that Essex be held without bail.

The indictment also includes a lewd act charge involving a girl who reported the alleged crime in 2006 in a case that the District Attorney’s Office said was previously declined by their office. The girls were between 7 and 13 at the time of the alleged crimes, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“Sexually assaulting a child not only robs them of their innocence but leaves lasting mental trauma,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement released shortly after the indictment was unsealed. “This is one of the most egregious crimes my office encounters and is made worse when the crime is committed by someone who has been entrusted to protect them and our community from harm.”

Essex was initially arrested April 8 by investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and booked on suspicion of one count each of lewd/lascivious acts with a child under 14 years and oral copulation with a child under the age of 14. He was released on bond that day, according to jail records.

He was re-arrested about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday night, jail records show. His current status with the sheriff’s department was not immediately available.

“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,” the department said in a statement released in April shortly after Essex’s arrest. “Department members who engage in misconduct, especially criminal misconduct that preys on a vulnerable population, will not be tolerated and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” according to the statement.

Essex’s attorney did not immediately comment on the indictment.

Previous related story: Sheriff’s deputy due in court after arrest for alleged sex acts with a child

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Home

2 comments for "Sheriff’s deputy indicted on sex-related charges involving 4 girls"

  1. Indicted says

    August 10, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    Another quality LACSD employee in the news again…

    Reply
    • Captain says

      August 11, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      What made you think cops are any smarter then firemen

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Comments

  • Tim Scott on Palmdale Regional names new chief nursing officer: “Very educated in the subject, wide experience in the field; what makes it hard to believe in your world, Clown?” Feb 2, 17:16
  • They can't drive on Woman standing near disabled SUV hit and killed by vehicle in Lancaster area [UPDATE: Victim ID’d]: “Probably illegals rubber necking and not paying attention on what their vehicle is doing. They also like to put heavy…” Feb 2, 17:10
  • East Palmdale's Most Ignorant on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “Sorry Donnie. I’m seriously ignorant, not purposely disrespectful. I’m willing to learn.” Feb 2, 16:19
  • East Palmdale's Most Creaky & Leaky on Woman standing near disabled SUV hit and killed by vehicle in Lancaster area [UPDATE: Victim ID’d]: “Easy Karl. That has to be sarcasm. Nobody could be as weak-minded as “Karen” professes to be.” Feb 2, 16:11
  • Clown world on Palmdale Regional names new chief nursing officer: “Hard to believe that this woman would have anything g to do with managing health, but hey! In clown world,…” Feb 2, 15:30

Copyright © 2023 · The AV Times LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use