Sex Crimes

Published on: January 18, 2013

No Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Trial for Actor Fred Willard

According to the Los Angeles Times, actor Fred Willard (whose credits include Anchorman, Best in Show, and This is Spinal Tap) will not go to trial for his Los Angeles lewd conduct charges.

If you recall from our reporting from last July, the 72-year-old Willard got arrested at the Tiki Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard, after police officers allegedly observed him “engaging in the lewd act.” Willard’s arrest reminded many in the media of the career-destroying lewd conduct arrest of Paul Reubens in a Florida movie theater over a decade earlier.

The LAPD unit that busted Willard and others aimed to crack down on sex crimes in and around Hollywood. The comedic actor recently completed a diversionary program that will keep him out of jail and finish this chapter in his life. He appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon after the arrest. He told Fallon that the arrest was “very embarrassing … it’s embarrassing as hell, but let me say this, nothing happened. I did nothing wrong.” Willard said that he didn’t realize the Tiki Theater was an adult theater. He told Fallon “I see this one, it had such a Polynesian exotic look to it. I said maybe there’s hula dancers in here. Maybe there’s Mai Tais. I went in and I realized I was the only one awake and sober and conscious.”

Published on: January 14, 2013

Nick Stahl Arrested On Hollywood Lewd Conduct Charges

by Michael Kraut

Nick Stahl, has been arrested for lewd conduct in Hollywood, according to news sources.

The 33-year-old actor, who starred in Terminator 3 and in the HBO series Carnivàle, got booked on the misdemeanor after undercover police found him “watching a movie” in an adult movie shop on Hollywood Boulevard. Stahl made headlines last year, after he went missing from his estranged wife multiple times and went in and out of rehab.

According to LAist, the actor allegedly had been “touching himself” before getting booked for lewd conduct. He emerged from police custody a few hours after the incident and told a TMZ cameraman that the whole thing was a “misunderstanding.” Stahl was actually arrested by one of the same police officers who caught actor Fred Willard at the Tiki Theater in November. As we reported in a recent post on Willard’s arrest, the Los Angeles Police Department has assembled a special crack team designed to find and arrest men for lewd conduct in Hollywood.

Published on: December 26, 2012

Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Charges Lead to Spate of Lawsuits against L.A. Unified

by Michael Kraut

Most Los Angeles lewd conduct charges, fortunately, are relatively “small scale.” They might involve one person committing an alleged sex crime against another or a few people.

However, there are times when certain crimes lead to a kind of “mass harm” and draw the attention of both community and the media. One of those cases involved some insane allegations against 61-year-old Mark Berndt, a former teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, who faces 23 counts of Los Angeles lewd conduct. He’s currently being held in jail on a bail of $23 million.

The allegations against Berndt are almost too hard to believe. Here is a direct quote from Reuters about what he faces: “He has been accused of spoon feeding his semen to blindfolded children as part of what he allegedly called a tasting game. He is also accused of putting cockroaches on children’s faces and feeding them semen tainted cookies at the school.”

Published on: December 12, 2012

Southland Attorney Hit with Lewd Conduct Charges — Arturo Gutierrez Allegedly Planned to Meet Under-Aged Girl at Seal Beach Pier

by Michael Kraut

Southland Attorney Arturo Fernando Shaw Gutierrez was arrested in a sting operation last Saturday and charged with arranging to meet a minor for lewd acts and intent to commit lewd acts at the Seal Beach Pier.

According to initial reports from the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, the parents of an under-aged girl alerted authorities after they noticed that their daughter had been having strange and sexual conversations with an adult man via Facebook. Authorities used clues from the girl’s Facebook account to bust Gutierrez. The criminal defense attorney had been allegedly posing as a young girl online. CBS LA reported that “Gutierrez had been unaware [that] he had been communicating via Facebook with the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force since November.” Authorities believe that he might have also engaged in other online communiqués with young women, although he has not yet been charged with additional crimes. He was held at the Seal Beach jail on a $50,000 bail.

A press release reported that “a search warrant was served at Gutierrez’s home in Ventura County immediately following his arrest.”

Published on: December 10, 2012

Sex Crimes, Bankruptcy Fraud, Los Angeles Lewd Conduct and More: Not a Terrific Legacy for Former World Series Legend, Lenny Dykstra

by Michael Kraut

49-year old ex-professional baseball player, Lenny Dykstra, was sentenced last week to half a year in federal prison in conjunction with bankruptcy fraud charges. Dykstra, the ex-Met and Phillie who went by the nickname “Nails” and who helped the New York Mets cap off their Cinderella 1986 season with astonishing come-from-behind victories against the Astros and the Red Sox, has since seen his life go downhill in a catastrophic fashion.

In addition to bankruptcy fraud charges, he has also faced Los Angeles lewd conduct charges, grand theft auto charges, assault with a deadly weapon charges, and more. During his recent trial, he also confessed to providing misleading testimony regarding an L.A. home that he had bought from hockey great, Wayne Gretzky.

Back in April, his Los Angeles lewd conduct and assault charges netted him a 270-day jail sentence. Dykstra allegedly lured women to his home via Craigslist ads: he claim to be looking for an assistant/housekeeper. He then forced himself upon these women. One woman said that Dykstra held her at knifepoint and ordered her to massage him. In addition to his 500-hours of community service and six months in jail, he’ll also have to pay $200,000 in restitution re his bankruptcy fraud charges.

Published on: November 30, 2012

Lessons for Los Angles Lewd Conduct Defendants From Crazy Case Way Up in Idaho

by Michael Kraut

Whether you were arrested for Los Angeles lewd conduct after an officer caught you soliciting in a public bathroom, or you face far more serious Southern California sex crime charges for an inappropriate relationship with a minor, you might benefit a lot from understanding how and why lewd conduct generally occurs. Such insight can help you build the stiffest possible defense to your charges.

In that light, consider the strange case of 31-year-old Julie McCormick of Nampa, Idaho, who was recently hit with charges of lewd and lascivious conduct with a juvenile offender.

McCormick was a security supervisor at an Idaho Juvenile Corrections Facility from November 2005 through August 2012. She appeared at Canyon County Third District Court to face charges that she had committed lewd conduct with a child younger than 16. Although the Idaho Department of Juvenile Correction has not commented on her case or arrest, the IDJC facility also faces a whistleblower lawsuit brought by current and former employees. They allege that the Nampa facility has suffered from a lack of staff and lax safety policies. They called the IDJC “rife with cronyism.” An attorney for the plaintiffs said that the allegations against McCormick supported that the general contention that “the IDJC… created an environment where… sexual abusive relationships can occur.” The Director of the facility, Betty Grimm, countered that “we have very good safety policies. I’m proud of this facility and the work that’s being done here.”

Published on: November 13, 2012

Santa Barbara Police Officer Acquitted of Southern California Lewd Conduct Charges

by Michael Kraut

After a highly publicized trial, former Santa Barbara police officer Brian Sawicki, has been acquitted by jury on charges of lewd conduct in Southern California and illegal electronic peeping.

Sawicki was convicted of two misdemeanor counts – resisting evidence and destroying evidence – however, the jury found him not guilty of trying to expose himself to two 13-year-old girls on Refugio State Beach in 2010.

The story is a little bit crazy.

Published on: October 30, 2012

Examples of Lewd Conduct in Los Angeles (and Elsewhere) Illustrate the Profound Extent of Your Challenge as a Defendant

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been accused of a sex crime or lewd conduct in Los Angeles – even for something relatively “minor” – the consequences for your future could be dire and permanent.

Not only could you face jail time and a criminal record, if you’re convicted, but you could also find the “sex offender” label permanently affixed to your name. This designation will make it more difficult for you to find work, find a place to live, find friends, and generally live your life. Even if the wrong you committed was only on a small scale – i.e. you didn’t assault or harm anyone – you could still wind up with a sex offender label.

Here are two cases to illustrate the severity of your trouble.

Published on: October 5, 2012

Wracked with Despair After Getting Hit with a Los Angeles Lewd Conduct Charge?

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been recently arrested for a sex crime or for lewd conduct in Los Angeles charges; odds are, you’re feeling pretty low.

Whether you “did it” or not — or you’re possibly guilty of certain aspects of the charges –- you may experience tremendous isolation, overwhelm, and even guilt as the severity of your situation becomes more clear. Unfortunately, the stresses of being charged with lewd conduct can take their toll.

Consider a recent tragedy out of Northern California, where a 28-year-old 6th grade teacher, James Izumizaki, killed himself shortly after being charged with having a relationship with a 14-year-old student. The Albany Middle School teacher was arrested on September 27th at his house and released after he made $100,000 bail. Izumizaki coached basketball, volleyball, and student government programs; he apparently was well liked by many students. Officers with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department said that his body was found in his car on Via Alamitos in San Lorenzo. He left a note which indicated that he had committed suicide.

Published on: September 25, 2012

Los Angeles Lewd Conduct News: ICE Chief of Staff Resigns: Allegedly Told Halloween Costumed Subordinate “You’re a Sexy [Expletive Deleted]!”

by Michael Kraut

If you’ve been arrested for a Los Angeles lewd conduct charge, understand that you are not the only one who’s ever had to face public humiliation, frustration, and the need for damage control.

Consider, for instance, the very public case of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief of Staff, Suzanne Barr, who resigned her position last week, after being dogged by accusations by her subordinates that she engaged in multiple instances of lewd behavior.

The accusations against Barr first arose in an ICE employee’s lawsuit against Janet Napolitano, the Director of the Department of Homeland Security. The lawsuit said that Barr allowed a frat house like environment to develop at ICE. For instance, they said that, while discussing Halloween costume plans, she told one subordinate “you’re a sexy [expletive deleted]” while “looking at his crotch” and then she enquired “how long is it, anyway?”