A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was arrested on Friday on child sex abuse charges, according to authorities.
Sean Jerome Essex, 51, was booked into jail at 11:10 a.m., records show. He was released at 4 p.m. on $100,000 bail.
Deputy Investigated After Department Received a Tip
Essex was arrested for allegedly committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14-years-old, and for oral copulation with a child under 14-years-old, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
Investigators with the department's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau and Special Victims Bureau said they started looking into the deputy after receiving a report of suspected child abuse, the agency said. Details of the tip that prompted the investigation have not yet been shared.
It is also not yet known how long Essex was a deputy or whether he has been placed on leave, fired or is facing any other disciplinary action.
In a statement, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was "appalled and saddened" by the allegations and is committed to seeing justice served. "Department members who engage in misconduct, especially criminal misconduct that preys on a vulnerable population, will not be tolerated and will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," according to a Sheriff's Department statement.
Another LASD Arrested on Similar Charges in August
In August, another L.A County sheriff's deputy was arrested on similar charges. Anthony Heriberto Galindo, of Rancho Cucamonga, was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl and was arrested in late August.
Galiondo was charged with one count of contact with a minor for sexual offense, two counts of sexual penetration of a person under 18, one count of oral copulation of a person under 18 and one count of sexual battery by restraint. He was relieved of his duties and his peace officer powers were suspended following his arrest, according to an LASD statement at the time.
