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California therapist arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting disabled girl

Lina Portman2 days ago

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Behavioral therapist Mitchell Akira Takata, 21, has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a disabled Riverside girl. He was arrested in May 2024. (Courtesy of the Riverside Police Department)

Riverside police are asking the public for information about any encounters they may have had with Mitchell Akira Takata, a 21-year-old behavioral therapist accused of assaulting a disabled girl.

Takata, 21, was arrested May 23 and booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Center in Banning, where he was being held on $1 million bond.

Takata was charged May 28 with attempted sexual intercourse with a child under 10, lewd acts with a child under 14 and attempted rape of a mentally or physically disabled person. He has pleaded not guilty to all three charges and is due to appear in court again on September 26.

The investigation began when police were called to a home where Takata was working with a girl who police said was severely disabled and did not speak, a police department news release said. Someone alleged that Takata, who was present when police arrived, had assaulted the girl.

Takata has worked as a behavioral therapist for three years, primarily with severely disabled children, police said. They are asking anyone with information about Takata to contact Detective Daniel Suarez at [email protected] or 951-353-7120.

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