Seven current and former law enforcement officers in the U.S. state of California face charges in connection with a sex scandal rocking the Oakland Police Department.
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Along with dozens of other police departments around the nation, the Oakland police have come under scrutiny during the past year.
She said that she worked as a prostitute and would received tips from her law enforcement liaisons about avoiding raids in exchange for sex. But some Oakland residents say the discipline doesn’t go far enough. O’Malley said Friday that there was “extrinsic evidence” that Guap never actually met Brendan O’Brien, the Oakland police officer shot himself after the teen threatened to expose their relationship to the police. Three successive police chiefs resigned in June in a department known nationally for its disproportionate targeting and use of force against Black people.
The Oakland department previously said two officers implicated in the scandal had resigned and another killed himself previous year. Dan Black, an officer with the Livermore Police Department, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor engaging in an act of prostitution and two counts of misdemeanor engaging in a lewd act in a public place.
Guap is now in Florida, where she was seeking treatment at a rehab facility.
The prosecutor said she needs the teen to provide testimony in the case. O’Brien left behind a suicide note implicating Guap’s actions in going to his superiors, in retaliation for his ignoring her, and saying that as many as four other officers had had sex with her while she was underage.
No charges have been brought against any officers in San Francisco County and San Joaquin County, where investigations by the press uncovered other possible crimes. The union previously said it would not be representing most of the implicated officers because the alleged misconduct occurred while they were off-duty, according to The AP. After the scandal surfaced, former Oakland Chief Sean Whent resigned and two of his replacements also left in quick succession in June.
The charges range from oral copulation with a minor, engaging in acts of prostitution, obstruction of justice, failure to report sexual misconduct involving a minor, and unauthorized access to a criminal justice computer system.
O’Malley said officers facing felonies could face as many as three years in state prison if convicted.
Sergeant Michael Andraychak of the San Francisco police said his department has an open internal affairs investigation, but no criminal investigation. “While there may be some who criticize our charging decisions, I would say we have maintained the highest level of professionalism when determining whether or not to file criminal charges against any person”, O’Malley said.
The plan to charge the officers was announced Friday by Alameda County Dist. Atty. OPD Officer Giovanni LoVerde faces a felony for oral copulation with a minor.
Two counts of Penal Code 647 (b), Engaging in An Act of Prostitution, misdemeanors, Two Counts of Penal Code Section 647 (a), Engaging in a Lewd Act in a Public Place, misdemeanors.
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Wednesday, four Oakland police officers were fired, and Thursday a Livermore officer resigned. Ms. Schaaf, the Oakland mayor, said earlier this week that she was “deeply sorry for the harm that this scandal has caused, particularly to community trust”.
