Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputy Charged with Sexual Abuse of 13-Year-Old

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy has been charged with sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in his Cudahy home two years ago, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Bryan Cardoso, 30, is charged with sexual battery of a child. Los Angeles County prosecutors alleged the attack “involved violence, aggravated assault, threats of aggravated assault and other acts that demonstrate a high degree of cruelty, viciousness and callousness,” according to a press release.

“This child has suffered an unimaginable breach of trust,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “The alleged actions of this deputy are reprehensible and unacceptable.”

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As a result of the ongoing investigation, Cardoso was relieved of his duties nearly two years ago, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

He was arrested by detectives on Thursday and the police department said he was booked into the South Los Angeles Police Department. Jail records show he was released the same day on $100,000 bail.

The ministry described the allegations against Cardoso as “extremely serious and a breach of public trust”.

“As public officials, we have a responsibility to uphold the law and not break it,” the agency said.

Cardoso could not be reached for comment on Wednesday and it was not immediately clear whether he had hired a lawyer.

County records show he began working with the department in 2016 and was most recently assigned to Century Station.

The investigation into the case began in the fall of 2022, according to a copy of the affidavit filed last year to support a search warrant. In September of that year, the East LA Sheriff's Station received two complaints alleging that a 13-year-old and her 17-year-old sister were sexually abused by the boyfriend of a family member, identified as Cardoso.

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The younger girl claimed she was attacked in mid-June 2022 when her family went to the lake and then visited Cardoso's home. It's not clear when or where the alleged incident involving the older girl may have occurred, and it does not appear to have resulted in charges. Prosecutors did not mention it in Wednesday's news release.

According to the affidavit, the girls' mother told investigators that she told Cardoso and his girlfriend about the assaults before reporting the incident to police, but he denied it.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and seized the cellphones of Cardoso and his girlfriend, the affidavit states. A forensic examination of the devices discovered text messages between the two discussing the alleged crimes. However, some of the messages had allegedly been deleted from Cardoso's phone.

Cardoso's arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.

This is not the first time in recent months that current and former sheriff's deputies have been charged with sexual assault.

Last month, a former The deputy sheriff was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and sexually abused a 14-year-old girl.

In June, another former deputy was sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing four young girls between the ages of 4 and 13.

And at the end of last year, another MP arrested on suspicion of sexual harassment an inmate at the women's prison in Lynwood.

Times writer Libor Jany contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.