Recently in molestation Category

MONTBELLO -- A doctor was arrested Wednesday for allegedly molesting a female patient at Kaiser Permanente's Montebello Medical Offices.

NORWALK -- A doctor accused of molesting five patients during gynecological exams at offices in Whittier and La Mirada pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday, authorities said.
Dr. Steve Vouis, 65, is charged with six counts of sexual battery by fraud for alleged incident that took place between 2007 and 2009.
Vouis, who is free pending trial after posting $125,000 bail, was ordered to return to Norwalk Superior court Dec. 13 for a pretrial hearing, court officials said.

MONTEBELLO -- Officials are seeking a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman Tuesday at an apartment complex.
The crime occurred about 8:30 a.m. in the 800 block of South Greenwood Avenue, Montebello police officials said in a written statement.
"The suspect covered the victim's mouth with one hand and placed an unknown weapon against her side with his other hand," the statement said.
The attacker then dragged the woman into a nearby carport and began sexually assaulting her, police said.
"The suspect threatened to shoot the victim if she resisted," the statement said. "The victim was able to fight off the suspect and notify the police."
The attacker was last seen fleeing the area on foot.
Police described him as a Latino man, about 17 to 20 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 140 pounds, with a black sweat shirt, dark colored jeans and a black baseball cap. He also had two loop ring piercings with spike studs on his upper lip.
Anyone with information is asked to call Montebello police Detective Paul Antista at 323-887-1249.

Composite sketch courtesy of the Montebello Police Department

WHITTIER - Three women testified Wednesday that a local doctor sexually assaulted them during breast and gynecological exams at offices in Whittier and La Mirada.
Dr. Steve Vouis, 65, is accused of six counts of sexual battery by fraud. The alleged assaults took place between 2007 and 2009 and involved five victims.
At the first portion of a preliminary hearing in Whittier Superior Court, three women took the witness stand to describe their encounters with the doctor. The hearing is expected to conclude Oct. 12.
Vouis pleaded not guilty to the allegations. He was freed after posting $125,000 bail. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Heba Matta.
All three women, who are in their 20s and 30s, testified that Vouis inappropriately touched their nipples during breast examinations. Two of the women said he also molested them during vaginal examinations.
A 33-year-old alleged victim, identified only as Mary R. to protect her privacy, told of her experiences with the doctor when she went to his Whittier office in June 2007 for a gynecological appointment.
She said the doctor squeezed her nipples and made sexual comments about them while examining her.
During a vaginal exam, she testified that the doctor's touching went far beyond what she had experienced in previous exams.
When she told Vouis that he was hurting her, she testified, "he ripped off my gown, threw it on the floor."
At that point, Mary R. testified, she stopped the exam and left the office.
Jennifer Keller, the attorney representing Vouis, pointed out inconsistencies between what Mary R. testified in court, and what she wrote in notes taken the day of the appointment.
Vouis declined to comment outside the courtroom Wednesday.
Another alleged victim, identified in court as Yesica Y., told a story similar to Mary R.
The defense attorney asked Yesica Y. if she was angry over other issues, such as a billing dispute. She said she was not.
Keller also questioned why Yesica Y. allowed the exam to continue even after alleged inappropriate behavior.
Yesica Y. said she feared for her safety and her life.
Alleged victim Wendy Z. took the stand to talk about an April 2009 appointment with the doctor.
She said she became "very uncomfortable" when the doctor asked about her boyfriend.
Keller also highlighted differences between Wendy Z.'s testimony Wednesday and what she had written down shortly after the incident. Keller also asked her why she did not end the exam and leave at the first signs of impropriety.
Keller asked all the witnesses if they've filed lawsuits against Vouis.
When the preliminary hearing is completed next week, Whittier Superior Court Judge Cathryn Brougham will make a ruling on whether sufficient evidence has been presented to order Vouis to stand trial.

GLENDORA -- A man was behind bars Thursday on suspicion of groping young women at Citrus College, and police are seeking any other potential victims, authorities said.
Glendora police arrested Jose Antonio Villatoro, 32, a transient and student at Citrus College, on suspicion of sexual battery Tuesday, Detective Jason Tibbetts said. One alleged molestation took place Monday, and three occurred Tuesday at the campus, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd.
"Villatoro approached the victims while riding a blue BMX bicycle and engaged them in conversation," Tibbetts said. "The suspect then grabbed at the victims' legs and buttocks."
A campus security guard detained Villatoro until police arrived following Tuesday's incidents, police said.
Police are seeking any other possible victims of Villatoro who have not come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to call Glendora police at 626-914-8200.
According to county booking records, Villatoro was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail and was due for arraignment today in West Covina Superior Court.

PHOTO of Jose Villatoro courtesy of the Glendora Police Department.

POMONA -- A judge sentenced a man to prison Wednesday for molesting a 14-year-old Covina boy he met on the Internet, authorities said.
Achilles Corelleone, 47, of Salton City pleaded no contest to four counts of child molestation in Pomona Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shiara Dávila-Morales said in a written statement.
"Pomona Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho immediately sentenced the defendant to five years state prison," she said. "Corelleone, also known as Arlan Gene Reynoldson, additionally will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life."
Covina police Sgt. Dave Foster said the department was pleased to see the case come to a conclusion and justice served.
Foster added that there did not appear to be additional victims, as police initially feared.
"Based on the investigation, it looks like there were no other victims that the suspect targeted," Foster said.
Officials searched Corelleone's cell phone and computer during the investigation, he said, as well his online accounts.
"MySpace was very cooperative with us," Foster said.
Authorities alleged that Corelleone met a 14-year-old Covina boy through the Internet Web site MySpace in March of 2009 and began meeting the boy in person within days, Covina police and District Attorney's officials said.
The molestations occurred between July and October of last year, according to a criminal complaint.
Corelleone gave the boy gifts to build his trust before molesting him, police said.
The boy's father, who had begun to suspect something inappropriate was going on between his son and Corelleone, spotted Corelleone at Kahler Russell Park in Covina on Oct. 19 of last year and called police, Foster said shortly after the arrest.
Corelleone had no history of sex crimes when he was arrested, police said, though burglary convictions in Texas and Wyoming.

*Booking photo courtesy of the Covina Police Department

 

PASADENA - The trial for a Monrovia man accused of luring underage girls via the Internet and molesting them has been postponed until next month, court officials said. 
 
Gregory Scott Serrano, 34, was initially scheduled to go on trial Feb. 9, officials said, however it has been rescheduled for March 2.
 
Serrano has been charged with 20 counts of child molestation in the alleged crimes, which officials allege date back to June of 2006. 
 
In addition to the local charges, Serrano has been indicted on 23 federal charges, United States Attorney's officials said. 
 
Serrano was jailed in March of last year after a 15-year-old girl reported the alleged molestation to her parents, officials said. 
 
Serrano's alleged victims range in age from 13 to 17 years old, officials said.
 

A man accused of molesting four girls at a San Gabriel elementary school was cleared of three of the accusations Thurssday. In the fourth charge, the jury could not reach a verdict. City News Service reports below:

ALHAMBRA - An outside contractor who had been accused of inappropriately touching three female students at an elementary school in San Gabriel was acquitted today of three charges, but jurors deadlocked on a count involving a fourth girl.
The Alhambra Superior Court jury deliberated just over a day before acquitting Daniel Roy Smith, 43, of Fullerton, of two felony counts of lewd act on a child and a misdemeanor
child annoying charge.
The panel deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal on a third lewd act charge, according to defense
attorney Leonard Levine.
"We're hopeful that the remaining count will be dismissed," Smith's attorney said.
The prosecution is expected to announce at the next hearing Feb. 13 whether it wants to retry Smith on the charge, which involves a girl who was 7 at the time.
"We'll look at the decision on whether to retry him," Deputy District Attorney Steven Ipson said this afternoon.
The other charges on which Smith was acquitted involved another 7-year- old girl, a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl, according to Ipson.
Smith was an outside contractor who was hired in connection with an astronomy presentation at Washington Elementary School.
"Our simple argument was that he didn't commit any acts of molestation," Levine said.
Smith had been jailed on $600,000 bail, but his bail was reduced to $75,000 following the jury's verdict, according to his attorney.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has opened up a probe of Cardinal Roger Mahoney for his role in the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese in recent years. Here's a portion of the story that appears on the Time's Web site this afternoon:

The U.S. attorney in Los Angeles has launched a federal grand jury investigation into Cardinal Roger M. Mahony in connection with his response to the alleged molestation of children by priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the case.

The probe, in which U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O'Brien is personally involved, is aimed at determining whether Mahony, and possibly other church leaders, committed "honest services fraud" by failing to adequately deal with priests accused of sexually abusing children, said the sources, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.

The state's case against Virgil Cleon Harper went to a Jury Wednesday after both sides presented closing arguments.

Harper, a substitute teacher in Azusa, is accused of nine counts of sexual molestation involving youngsters in his classroom.

Our reporter Bethania Palma attended Wednesday's court session and interviewed Harper. These excerpts are from her story:

Deputy District Attorney Miji Vellakkatel<NO1>cq <NO>told the jury there was solid evidence Harper touched the 9-and-10-year-old boys and girls in a sexual manner.
"The truth lies in the evidence," he said. "He touched a total of 17 body parts that are sexual in nature.
The fourth graders had stated Harper touched genital areas, rear ends, breasts and thighs, Vellakkatel said.
Defense attorney Victor Salerno said the accusations were false and added they resulted from peer pressure and a "snowball effect."

<snip>

Harper said he had been a teacher and substitute teacher for years in various settings, including high schools and colleges. At one point he taught at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
He also worked as an adjunct professor at APU and served on the city's architectural barriers commission.
Harper said he began teaching at grade schools about a year ago so he could get more hours.
He said if cleared of charges, he would not teach children again "unless there are cameras or another adult present."