The LAPD is seeking the public’s assistance in their search for a man suspected of sexually assaulting a a 70-year-old woman in Northridge. The alleged crime is reported to have occurred on February 2nd at 10:30 p.m. in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of Northridge. The details of the crime are only that the man dragged the woman out from inside her home and attempted to sexually assault her over the course of 15-minutes. Why the attack stopped has not been disclosed.
The suspect is reported to be an African-American male, about 5’8″ tall with a weight of around 180 lbs. At the time of the alleged assault, the suspect was clad completely in black.
Sexual assault is covered under California Penal Code 243.4 PC. It’s defined as: “touching the intimate parts of another person for the purposes of sexual gratification, arousal or abuse.” 243.4 PC can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on a few key factors.
- The victim was unaware of the nature of the act because they were convinced that the touching was for a non-sexual purpose (a doctor fondling their patient, for example).
- The person was unlawfully restrained.
- The person was institutionalized as well as medically or physically restrained at the time of the touching.
- Forcing someone to fondle themselves or someone else under any of the above circumstances.
Misdemeanor violations of 243.4 PC include 6-months to 1-year in county jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Felony convictions, though, can incur anywhere from 2 to 4-years in California state prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Additionally, both misdemeanor and felony convictions will require that the defendant register as a sex offender under California Penal Code 290.
In this particular case, the suspect is not being charged with sexual assault, but instead attempted sexual assault; which is a little different. Those who are convicted of attempted crimes will typically receive half the sentence of the underlying offense.
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