Sex Crimes & Stalking Division
The Sex Crimes and Stalking Division is composed of a highly-trained and specialized team of Deputy District Attorneys, District Attorney Investigators, paralegals and secretaries dedicated to the aggressive and just prosecution of perpetrators of sexual assault and stalking crimes. Guided by Division Chief David Hendren and Assistant Chief John Rice, the division strives to treat the victims of sexual assaults with compassion, dignity, and respect.
During 2009, the attorneys in this division each handled significant cases including prosecutions for sexually motivated homicides; sexual assaults by strangers; sexual assaults by acquaintances; attacks upon developmentally disabled victims; lewd acts with children; stalking; human trafficking; pimping; pandering; prosecutions for failing to properly register as sexual offenders; indecent exposure and civil commitments upon sexually-violent predators.
The past year has seen a rise in the prosecution of human trafficking, primarily in conjunction with pimping and pandering charges. Vulnerable young women and minors are being seduced into the underworld of prostitution throughout the county by unscrupulous felons intent upon profiting from this illicit business. The division not only prosecutes the offenders, but works with law enforcement and community based organizations which try to rehabilitate the victims and re-integrate them back into society.
The division is committed to protecting the community from sexually-violent predators through the pursuit of civil commitment petitions resulting in hospitalization and treatment of those offenders found to be a substantial danger to the public. The division works to keep the public informed as sexually violent predators reach the community treatment phase through community notification and public meetings.
The division continued in 2009 its partnership in the innovative P.R.I.C.E. initiative designed to prevent rape by intoxication through community education in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, universities, victim advocacy groups, and health-based organizations.
Significant cases include:
People v. Kevin Sellers and Vanna
Chheun
A home invasion robbery by three assailants against five victims that included
the sexual-assault of a female victim. Two assailants entered the home
with guns, tied up victims, covered their heads then doused them with
lighter fluid during an ordeal that lasted more than four hours. Two
of the assailants were caught and subsequently convicted by a jury.
People
v. Danteria Wesley
At a downtown motel, the defendant jumped over the counter and pinned the
motel clerk against the wall. The motel clerk and manager, both female,
escaped to the laundry room where the defendant held the manager down,
punched her in the face and began to sexually-assault her. The defendant
then attacked a good Samaritan who tried to intervene, knocking him to
the ground. The defendant was convicted on all counts and sentenced to
the maximum 23 years in state prison.
People v. Adam Harris
The defendant moved into a house of SDSU students. After a night of excessive
drinking, the defendant sexually assaulted an unconscious victim. A witness
observed the defendant standing over the naked victim. The sexual assault
and defendant’s identity were proved through DNA obtained during the
post-assault forensic examination. The defendant was sentenced to three
years in state prison.
People v. Steve Bimson
The defendant, a leader in the business community, ran a foster home for
young boys. Before he was licensed, he took in a string of teenage boys
whom he molested. He was charged and convicted of 31 counts of child
molestation and sentenced to life in prison.
People v. John Silva
The defendant managed a mobile home park and molested several of his young
relatives ,as well as a neighbor boy. He was convicted of all charges
and received a life sentence.
People v. Quincy McShan
This two-time parolee was out of prison for less than
a month when he pimped out three victims, two of whom were under the age
of 15 and runaways. The defendant was turned in by his former prostitute
who could not stand the thought that he was pimping "girls" who
could not make the choice to get into the business. She secretly tape recorded
a conversation with defendant in which he tried to get her to come back and
explained he sent the girls away. The defendant was sentenced to more than
22 years in prison.
