Man accused of sex with underage boy takes plea bargain
A man accused of meeting an underage boy for sex in a public park accepted a plea bargain from prosecutors on Thursday and will be sentenced next month to 180 days in jail.
Valiant Leonid Phipps, 44, was arrested Jan. 19 after a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy found him in a bathroom stall with an underage boy at a park in Rancho Cucamonga.
Phipps agreed to plead guilty Thursday in West Valley Superior Court to one felony count of unlawful sex with a minor more than three years younger. The two felony counts initially filed by prosecutors will dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Phipps will be required to register as a sex offender.
Staff Writer Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino contributed to this report.
180 days, you got to be kidding me. Vote this judge out of office when his term is up, what a disgrace to himself and the community!!
There is an excellent children's book to help children who it is either known, or suspected, are being sexually abused. It is a faith-based book and they included the faith element because it is the child's real story, fictionally told, and he relied on faith to help him, and also because many children are threatened and silenced by abusers using faith as a weapon. The book is easy to read, small and discreet in size, and something children will be attracted to and will want to read. The first in a series of four. The second, David's Shield, is about to begin publishing and has been endorsed by the Chaplain of the New England Patriots and Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Natalie Grant among others. It has already been added to Resource Lists in many places and is a safe and tasteful tool to help children share. The title of the book is David's Sword by David, Lee and Marybeth Elliott. It can be purchased or ordered at any bookstore in the U.S. or you may visit David's Sword Dot Com for an autographed copy.
Wait a minute, why so harsh, 180 days. Are you sure this is not a misprint, perhap's it should be a 180 years. Oh I get it maybe he's from San Bernardino, and this is okay because he is a victim of our society or the "system". I hope when he is released from custody he doesn't sue, because his rights or civil rights were violated for having to do jail time. However; I thought the D.A. was going to slam these guys and prosecute them to the highest level. As always with elected officials its always blaw blaw blaw when there in front of reporters.
Hey Papadowop,so when Daniel Sundstrom the upland student teacher did it and got 270 days,then in his case it's a fair punishment right ? I dont think Mr Phipps sentencing is good enough,but neither are others that had a similar case.These kind of guys should get at least 3 years in state prison for these crimes,and if they would have gone all the way then 20 years to life.