A 33-year-old former Hillsborough resident is facing 15 felony child sex charges in San Mateo County after pleading not guilty yesterday to allegations that he sexually abused at least two children when he was a teenager. A judge denied his bail request and set a preliminary hearing for April 23, keeping him in custody as the case proceeds. Authorities say he was arrested in Arizona last year and extradited back to the Peninsula.
Prosecutors' account
San Mateo County prosecutors say the charges accuse the man of forcible lewd acts that allegedly began when he was 14 and continued through age 17, and that at least two victims described exposure to pornography, forced masturbation, oral copulation, and later sodomy. Prosecutors also say the defendant admitted the molestations during a recorded call and that the case was first handled in juvenile court before a judge ordered it moved to adult criminal court, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Defense pushes back
The defendant pleaded not guilty, and his attorney, Geoff Carr, told the San Francisco Chronicle that treating alleged conduct from ages 14 to 17 as adult offenses raises difficult questions about punishment. "He could spend the rest of his life in prison," Carr said, arguing that the court must weigh whether adult sentencing is appropriate for acts that allegedly occurred when his client was a juvenile.
What the charges mean in California law
Lewd or lascivious acts on a child are governed by Penal Code § 288 and are felonies that carry multi-year prison terms, and harsher penalties can apply if force or fear is involved, while statutes covering oral copulation and sodomy set separate penalties depending on the victim's age and the nature of the act. Convictions for those offenses commonly bring sex-offender registration obligations and can add up to very long prison terms depending on the number of counts and any enhancements. See Penal Code § 288, Penal Code § 286, and registration guidance from the California Courts.
Prosecutors say they will proceed to the preliminary hearing on April 23 at the San Mateo County Superior Court’s Hall of Justice in Redwood City, where a judge will decide which evidence may move forward to trial. The case remains under investigation as prosecutors and court staff prepare to notify and support alleged victims and any additional witnesses, and the matter will continue to be handled in San Mateo County Superior Court's criminal division, Southern Branch in Redwood City.
