Post by WaTcHeR on Apr 29, 2006 13:43:32 GMT -5
04/29/2006 - Former Los Angeles Police Department Officer George Stan, who found most of the seven male victims he performed sex acts with on the Internet, pleaded guilty Friday to 15 felonies.
The veteran officer, who lives in Simi Valley, pleaded guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to sodomizing and performing oral copulation on minors.
In exchange for a plea agreement, Stan, 37, will be sent to prison for 11 years and four months when he is sentenced on June 28.
"He takes full responsibility for his actions," said Stan's lawyer, Leonard Levine. "He is greatly saddened and remorseful for what occurred."
Stan, a balding man with a shortly cropped beard, had his head lowered and his eyes fixed on the floor while entering the guilty pleas in court.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony Wold said the sentence is nearly the maximum allowed by law. Initially, Stan had been charged with 30 counts, which were reduced in half as part of the plea agreement.
The LAPD began the investigation in January 2005, after a minor told officials at the department about alleged inappropriate Internet communications by Stan. Investigators allege multiple illegal sexual acts occurred between Stan and the 15-year-old boy from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2005, at Stan's Simi Valley home.
Stan was arrested in July.
He had been a temporary youth services officer for about one year, working with the Explorer program, which introduces youths to law enforcement-related careers. He joined the LAPD in 1990, after having participated in the Explorer program as a teenager.
Two of the seven victims had contact with Stan during their involvement with the LAPD Explorer Program.
Levine expects Stan to serve 4 to five years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. Levine said he'll get credit for the time he has served. He never made bail after his July arrest.
Stan would have to serve 85 percent of his sentence if the victims were under the age of 14, said Levine.
"Had there been force used or had the victims been under the age of 14, then you are required to do 85 percent of your time, " said Levine.
Stan had a 15-year career with the LAPD and had been at the Devonshire Police Station in the northwest San Fernando Valley since 1991.
Stan had a exemplary career with the department before he committed these crimes, said Levine.
"Obviously, he lead and exemplary life as a police officer, was shot in the line of duty, received numerous commendations for his actions in the field," Levine said. "Obviously, something went terribly wrong in his life for a very short period of time, which resulted in these actions. Hopefully, he'll get counseling for that and return to a productive life."
Stan has two strikes going into the prison system — he will be among inmates who take a very dim view of incarcerated officers and rapists. Levine, however, is confident state prison officials will protect Stan.
"This is not the first case where they've had police officers in custody nor the first time they've dealt with individuals convicted of these types of offenses," said Levine. "We're hopeful he'll be safe."
The veteran officer, who lives in Simi Valley, pleaded guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to sodomizing and performing oral copulation on minors.
In exchange for a plea agreement, Stan, 37, will be sent to prison for 11 years and four months when he is sentenced on June 28.
"He takes full responsibility for his actions," said Stan's lawyer, Leonard Levine. "He is greatly saddened and remorseful for what occurred."
Stan, a balding man with a shortly cropped beard, had his head lowered and his eyes fixed on the floor while entering the guilty pleas in court.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Anthony Wold said the sentence is nearly the maximum allowed by law. Initially, Stan had been charged with 30 counts, which were reduced in half as part of the plea agreement.
The LAPD began the investigation in January 2005, after a minor told officials at the department about alleged inappropriate Internet communications by Stan. Investigators allege multiple illegal sexual acts occurred between Stan and the 15-year-old boy from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2005, at Stan's Simi Valley home.
Stan was arrested in July.
He had been a temporary youth services officer for about one year, working with the Explorer program, which introduces youths to law enforcement-related careers. He joined the LAPD in 1990, after having participated in the Explorer program as a teenager.
Two of the seven victims had contact with Stan during their involvement with the LAPD Explorer Program.
Levine expects Stan to serve 4 to five years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. Levine said he'll get credit for the time he has served. He never made bail after his July arrest.
Stan would have to serve 85 percent of his sentence if the victims were under the age of 14, said Levine.
"Had there been force used or had the victims been under the age of 14, then you are required to do 85 percent of your time, " said Levine.
Stan had a 15-year career with the LAPD and had been at the Devonshire Police Station in the northwest San Fernando Valley since 1991.
Stan had a exemplary career with the department before he committed these crimes, said Levine.
"Obviously, he lead and exemplary life as a police officer, was shot in the line of duty, received numerous commendations for his actions in the field," Levine said. "Obviously, something went terribly wrong in his life for a very short period of time, which resulted in these actions. Hopefully, he'll get counseling for that and return to a productive life."
Stan has two strikes going into the prison system — he will be among inmates who take a very dim view of incarcerated officers and rapists. Levine, however, is confident state prison officials will protect Stan.
"This is not the first case where they've had police officers in custody nor the first time they've dealt with individuals convicted of these types of offenses," said Levine. "We're hopeful he'll be safe."