q4star
03-20-2010, 07:23 PM
This article made me upset not only at officer but justice system.
Mar 19, 2010
Ex CHP Officer Gets 1 Year For Attempted Child Sex
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) ― A retired lieutenant from the California Highway Patrol was sentenced Friday to a year in jail and five years of probation for attempting unlawful sex with a fictitious 13-year-old girl, and prosecutors lashed out at the judge for his leniency.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Marc Kelly handed down the sentence to Stephen Robert Deck, who was convicted in December of one felony count of attempted lewd acts on a child under 14.
Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of four years in prison, and the Orange County Department of Probation also recommended state prison time, saying Deck was not a suitable candidate for probation.
"It sends the wrong message to the public when a high-ranking police officer who tried to molest a 13-year-old girl gets coddled by the criminal justice system," Public Affairs Counsel Susan Kang Schroeder said in a written statement. "A child predator police officer should not get a break and a pass on state prison. His violation of trust makes his crime more serious not less."
Deck, of Carlsbad, was still serving in the CHP when he was caught in an Internet sting in 2006 by a nonprofit group that has adults pose as children to seek out sexual predators.
Deck engaged in explicit online conversations with a woman posing as a 13-year-old girl, prosecutors said, and was arrested when he drove from San Diego County to Laguna Beach in an attempt to meet with her.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. No excuses," an emotional Deck said before he was sentenced Friday. "I have a fair understanding of my conduct. This will not happen again. I'm not a pedophile. I'm not a threat."
The judge said Kelly's CHP service and apology were factors in his decision.
"You've served your country, you've been a productive citizen in all aspects of your life and that has to count for something," Kelly said. "I do believe you are remorseful."
Deck must also register as a sex offender.
Mar 19, 2010
Ex CHP Officer Gets 1 Year For Attempted Child Sex
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) ― A retired lieutenant from the California Highway Patrol was sentenced Friday to a year in jail and five years of probation for attempting unlawful sex with a fictitious 13-year-old girl, and prosecutors lashed out at the judge for his leniency.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Marc Kelly handed down the sentence to Stephen Robert Deck, who was convicted in December of one felony count of attempted lewd acts on a child under 14.
Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence of four years in prison, and the Orange County Department of Probation also recommended state prison time, saying Deck was not a suitable candidate for probation.
"It sends the wrong message to the public when a high-ranking police officer who tried to molest a 13-year-old girl gets coddled by the criminal justice system," Public Affairs Counsel Susan Kang Schroeder said in a written statement. "A child predator police officer should not get a break and a pass on state prison. His violation of trust makes his crime more serious not less."
Deck, of Carlsbad, was still serving in the CHP when he was caught in an Internet sting in 2006 by a nonprofit group that has adults pose as children to seek out sexual predators.
Deck engaged in explicit online conversations with a woman posing as a 13-year-old girl, prosecutors said, and was arrested when he drove from San Diego County to Laguna Beach in an attempt to meet with her.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. No excuses," an emotional Deck said before he was sentenced Friday. "I have a fair understanding of my conduct. This will not happen again. I'm not a pedophile. I'm not a threat."
The judge said Kelly's CHP service and apology were factors in his decision.
"You've served your country, you've been a productive citizen in all aspects of your life and that has to count for something," Kelly said. "I do believe you are remorseful."
Deck must also register as a sex offender.