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Ex-Cop Convicted of Forcing Sex Acts on Prostitutes
RIVERSIDE, California – A former San Bernardino Police officer was convicted of forcing two prostitutes to perform sex acts while he was in uniform.
José Jesús Pérez, 46, of Menifee, was found guilty of two felony counts of deprivation of rights under color of law for sexually assaulting two victims in 2011. The jury determined that both offenses involved aggravated sexual abuse, and that one attack involved a kidnapping and bodily injury.
Pérez is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips on August 18, at which time he faces a potential sentence of life in federal prison.
Pérez has been in custody since he was arrested last September in Texas. The arrest was the result of a federal grand jury indictment that alleged Pérez forcibly had sex with two women who told investigators that they engaged in the sex acts demanded by Pérez out of fear because he was a police officer.
A week-long trial showed that Pérez groped a woman and caused her to perform oral sex by using force against her on April 25, 2011. The jury also found that Pérez had unlawful sexual intercourse with another woman on two occasions in August 2011.
The two victims testified about Pérez forcing them to have sex in vehicles and hotel rooms. A third woman testified that Pérez had aggressively solicited sex from her while he was in uniform. The three women each testified that they feared repercussions if they did not comply with Pérez’s demands.
Pérez became a police officer in 1997, when he was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department. Pérez worked for the LAPD until 2008, when he went to work for the San Bernardino Police Department. Pérez was released from employment by SBPD in December 2012.
The investigation into Pérez was conducted by the San Bernardino Police Department and the FBI.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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