AP: 11th Teen Surrenders In Connection With Venice High School Sex Assault
VENICE (CBS/AP) — Los Angeles police say an eleventh teenager sought in connection with sexual assaults at Venice High School has turned himself in.
Sgt. Eric Rogers tells the Associated Press the boy was booked Monday evening but other details aren't available.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, 10 Venice High School students -- between the ages of 14 and 17-years-old -- were arrested Friday on suspicion of sexual assault and unlawful sex with a minor.
Eight arrests occurred on school property, one took place off campus, and one student turned himself in to police. All 10 of those students have been released to their parents.
On Tuesday, authorities were notified by school administrators about possible sex crimes that involved two underage female victims, which spanned from December 2013 to March of this year.
Officers explained they believe some of the sexual acts were forced while other acts were consensual. They all took place on and off the campus of Venice High School.
Police added that no other victims are suspected to be involved in this incident.
A case has not yet been presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to file charges against the students for the alleged sex crimes.
The investigation is ongoing as detectives work to collect evidence and interview witnesses.
A Los Angeles district spokesperson told CBS2/KCAL9 three counselors were assigned to campus Monday to help staff, parents and students deal with the case.
Parents, like Michael Amaro, meanwhile picked up their children following tough conversations about right and wrong.
"I basically explained to him that some people have bad intentions against other people and act on them," Amaro shared of his conversation with his son.
Students told CBS2/KCAL9 explicit pictures of the victims engaging in sex acts with boys have circulated on social media.
Jody Armour, professor of criminal law at USC, says the case will be tricky for prosecutors because they don't want create a double standard between boys and girls.
"You could characterize this as a child pornography case. You can especially characterize this if the victims are under 14, or 15, 16, 17 even," Armour said.
"Certainly the defense will raise that as a concern and the prosecution will have to consider that in deciding whether prosecute both the males and the females if there are these kinds of pictures are involved," he continued.
To avoid that, parent Aida Jimenez won't allow her daughter to have a smartphone.
"I know that sometimes they misuse the phone.That's why," she said.
A L.A. Unified spokesperson told CBS2/KCAL9 each of the suspects will go through a process with the district's disciplinary unit to determine whether they will be expelled.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department's West Bureau Sexual Assault Section at (213) 473-0447.
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