A Los Angeles Police Department officer who pleaded not guilty to child molestation charges will be back in court July 16.
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Miguel Schiappapietra, 28, of Castaic, will possibly contest his plea, according to court officials.
Schiappapietra also faces a motion to contest the unsealing of evidence against him July 11, which he will not be present for, according to a court official.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in state prison.
Schiappapietra was arrested May 19, on two counts of two counts of lewd acts with a child, according to a Sgt. Brian Hudson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau.
The victims are under 10 years of age, Hudson said.
The alleged crimes occurred in Castaic, which is where the officer lived, Hudson said. He was arrested at his Castaic home.
Schiappapietra was initially suspected of one count, and the detectives’ investigation led to the additional charge.
Two girls told detectives that at 9 a.m. on May 19, the suspect lured them into his residence in the 28000 block of Branch Road in Castaic, and committed lewd acts, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The investigation is in its preliminary phases, Hudson said. However, he said detectives have no reason to suspect there are additional victims at this time.
Schiappapietra was a six-year veteran of the LAPD and stationed at the Foothill Station for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Schiappapietra is scheduled to appear July 30 for a preliminary hearing where the evidence in the case will be presented for trial.
He is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org
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