EX-LAPD Officer Gets 3 Years After Pleading No Contest To Lewd Act On Girl Under 10
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said a former LAPD officer who pleaded no contest to committing a lewd act on a girl under 10, was sentenced Friday to three years in state prison.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael D. Abzug also ordered Miguel Angel Schiappapietra Jr., 28, to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Prosecutors said Schiappapietra also attempted a lewd act against the victim's sister, also under 10 years of age.
Schiappapietra entered his no contest plea July 30, the day a hearing was scheduled to determine if he should stand trial on the two felony charges involving the girls.
The crimes occurred May 18 at Schiappapietra's home, according to Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Sparagna.
"It was a fair resolution," Schiappapietra's attorney, David D. Diamond, said, after the plea. "I think this case exemplifies the imperfections in the criminal justice system. My client was worried about increased prison exposure if the prosecutor added charges with or without justification. He still had to make a decision that was best for himself and his family."
Schiappapietra's decision to accept a prison sentence was "frightfully difficult, but ultimately he wanted the healing process to begin for everybody involved," Diamond said.
(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
