LAPD Officer Convicted Of Indecent Exposure, Attempted Lewd Act With Girl

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A Los Angeles police officer was convicted Tuesday of indecent exposure and an attempt to commit a lewd act with a 12-year-old girl in Huntington Beach.

Ryan Eric Galliher, 33, of Huntington Beach, was found guilty of a felony count of attempted lewd act upon a child under 14 years old, a felony count of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a lewd act, six misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and a misdemeanor count of engaging in lewd conduct.

He faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration at his sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 18.

Prosecutors say Galliher, who was a sworn LAPD officer at the time, approached a 12-year-old girl in the Bolsa Chica wetlands area on Feb. 27, 2014 and exposed himself to her, then asked the girl to touch him. Galliher exposed himself to and masturbated in front of four more women – ranging in age between 18 and 80 -- on six more occasions between then and October 2014.

At least one man who witnessed Galliher's conduct came forward after the Huntington Beach Police Department asked for help in the case.

Galliher was arrested on Oct. 23 by Huntington Beach police officers who were patrolling the area while masturbating in public, prosecutors said.