Former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy gets 40 years in prison for sexually abusing 4 girls

A former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing four girls ages 4 to 13, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Sean Essex, 53, pleaded guilty to three counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and one count of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14. The prosecutor's office said he also admitted to taking advantage of a position of trust in the commission of a crime, an allegation that leads to a special aggravation of the sentence.

Essex, a 22-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, also admitted in his guilty plea that one victim was “particularly vulnerable,” a news release from the prosecutor's office said. Prosecutors did not disclose further details about this circumstance.

The former MP was convicted of sexually abusing one of the victims in 2006, and then of abusing three other girls between 2013 and 2022, when he was arrested in April of that year. At the time, he was assigned to the department's Training Office.

In addition to spending decades behind bars, Essex must pay restitution to the victims and register as a sex offender. The amount he will pay is expected to be determined later by the court.

“The horrific sexual abuse that Mr. Essex inflicted on these young victims not only violated his oath as a law enforcement officer to protect and serve the community, but also left these children with lifelong trauma ” said George Gascón, Los Angeles County District Attorney. said in a press release from his office.