By Lorna Rodriguez, San Mateo County Times
June 5, 2009
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO - Enough evidence exists to try the president of the Belmont Chamber of Commerce for allegedly molesting a girlfriend's young daughter multiple times, a San Mateo County Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.
Michael Anthony Kazarian, a 50-year-old San Mateo resident, was held to answer on 18 criminal counts of child molestation by Judge Lisa Novak during a preliminary hearing on Thursday.
Kazarian has pleaded not guilty to the charges but remains in jail in lieu of $1.5 million in bail. A defense motion on Thursday to reduce bail was denied.
If convicted on all charges, he could face between 30 and 40 years, Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
"We are strongly protesting the charges," defense attorney Steve Chase said. "There is a lot that the police don't know of in this case"...[Kazarian] is going to show that he is innocent and we hope to win the case."
Prosecutors said Kazarian allegedly fondled the girl's chest and genitals and made her bend over for spankings repeatedly between 1999 and 2002. The girl was between 8 and 10 years old at the time of the alleged molestations, San Mateo County District Attorney Karen Guidotti said.
Kazarian also made the child touch his genitals on one occasion, according to prosecutors. The girl reportedly didn't come forward for years because she feared reprisal, prosecutors said.
"We are satisfied that we have taken another step to get him to trial where he can present his side of the story, and we will present our side, and the jury will decide whether he is guilty of these crimes," Wagstaffe said.
Kazarian owns Beau Monde Flooring on Old County Road in Belmont. The company specializes in environmentally-friendly natural flooring and wool carpeting, according to its Web site.
He is expected to return to court on June 19 for his Superior Court arraignment.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_12530820
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Michael Anthony Kazarian was acquitted of all charges on March 12, 2010. Please go to SFGate.com and read the article and comments. He was a victim of lies!
Michael Kazarian was acquitted of all charges on March 12, 2010. He was a victim of lies. go to SFGate.com and read the article with comments, this will shock you about our justice system in this so called free country of ours. There are others poor victims just like Michael
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