By Jose Luis Jimenez, Union-Tribune
March 18, 2008
EL CAJON -- A youth softball and basketball coach pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Superior Court to charges of molesting two girls. James Russell Phillips, 41, is accused of groping the girls - ages 11 and 13 - and attempting to kiss them on the lips over the past year, prosecutor Claudia Grasso said during a brief hearing.
Phillips currently faces four counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a minor, and if convicted, he could be sent to prison for 15 years to life, Grasso said in an interview.
Sheriff's detectives are in the process of interviewing other possible victims, including some that played for Phillips, which could lead to more charges, Grasso told the judge. "Other potential victims are girls he has coached in the past," Grasso said. "We already have the names of the potential victims. We are still investigating."
Phillips was arrested Thursday on Harbison Canyon Road in Dehesa. He has coached youth teams in Ramona and Julian for the past four years, according to sheriff's officials. Sheriff's officials said previously that Phillips may have molested as many as six children between the ages of 9 to 13 from October 2004 to January. The coach initially cooperated with the investigation and admitted one child's allegations, the officials said.
Phillips' court-appointed defense attorney argued Tuesday that his client's bail should be reduced from $900,000. The lawyer contended that Phillips' lack of a criminal record and the 40 years he has lived in San Diego County show he does not pose a danger to the community if released. Judge Patricia K. Cookson disagreed and declined to lower bail.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080318-1443-bn18coach.html
September 22, 2007
Music teacher Achi Ben Shalom gets 90 days in incident with girl
Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle
September 22, 2007
EL CERRITO - A former music teacher at a small Jewish school in El Cerrito was sentenced Friday to 90 days in Contra Costa County Jail for an incident in which a female student had accused him of sexual molestation. Achi Ben Shalom, 53, of El Cerrito also was placed on three years' probation by Superior Court Judge Leslie Landau in Martinez. Ben Shalom was acquitted by a jury last month of lewd and lascivious conduct with a girl but convicted of the lesser charges of assault and battery. On Friday, the judge dismissed the assault conviction on the grounds that Ben Shalom could not be convicted of two crimes for the same incident, defense attorney Harold Rosenthal said.
The girl testified that she had been molested last fall when she was 10 and turned 11. The Israeli-born musician testified that he had only massaged her stomach with a technique that he used on his children to ease aches, defense attorney Rosenthal has said. El Cerrito police arrested Ben Shalom in November for allegedly molesting the girl in his office after school hours. The criminal case stemmed "from a series of events" at Tehiyah Day School, police said at the time.
September 22, 2007
EL CERRITO - A former music teacher at a small Jewish school in El Cerrito was sentenced Friday to 90 days in Contra Costa County Jail for an incident in which a female student had accused him of sexual molestation. Achi Ben Shalom, 53, of El Cerrito also was placed on three years' probation by Superior Court Judge Leslie Landau in Martinez. Ben Shalom was acquitted by a jury last month of lewd and lascivious conduct with a girl but convicted of the lesser charges of assault and battery. On Friday, the judge dismissed the assault conviction on the grounds that Ben Shalom could not be convicted of two crimes for the same incident, defense attorney Harold Rosenthal said.
The girl testified that she had been molested last fall when she was 10 and turned 11. The Israeli-born musician testified that he had only massaged her stomach with a technique that he used on his children to ease aches, defense attorney Rosenthal has said. El Cerrito police arrested Ben Shalom in November for allegedly molesting the girl in his office after school hours. The criminal case stemmed "from a series of events" at Tehiyah Day School, police said at the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
