More Officers Charged|in Bay Area Sex Scandal

HAYWARD, Calif. (CN) — Three more officers have been criminally charged over their involvement in a police sex scandal involving departments across the San Francisco Bay Area.

The charges come on the heels of an investigation by Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley into allegations that Richmond, California, teen Jasmine Abuslin had sex with 30 officers from multiple departments, some while she was a minor. O'Malley said at a news conference earlier this month that she would be charging seven officers in the case.

According to Alameda County court filings, prosecutors on Monday charged Oakland police officer Giovanni LoVerde and former Contra Costa County Sheriff's officer Ricardo Perez on felony counts of having oral sex with a minor. Perez, who resigned from the sheriff's office in June, also faces two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a lewd act in public.

Oakland officer Brian Bunton faces felony conspiracy to obstruct justice for overt acts charges, based on prosecutors' belief that he tipped off Abuslin to a prostitution sting by the department. He has also been charged with a misdemeanor court of engaging in an act of prostitution.

If convicted, the felony charges could land the officers in prison from between 16 months and three years, according to O'Malley.

"Any person who engages in sexual exploitation, particularly someone in authority, will be held accountable if we have the evidence," O'Malley said at the news conference.

Retired Oakland police officer LeRoy Johnson was charged Friday with failing to report child abuse, a misdemeanor; and Dan Black, who resigned from the Livermore Police Department earlier this month, was also charged Friday with misdemeanors of engaging in an act of prostitution, engaging in a lewd act in public and furnishing a minor with alcohol.

O'Malley plans to charge two more Oakland officers in the case.

Also on Friday, Abuslin and her civil attorneys filed a $66 million claim against the city of Oakland.

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