Deputy indicted on sex-related charges with 4 girls

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a grand jury indictment charging him with sex-related offenses involving four girls from 2006 to this year.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta ordered Sean Essex, 51, to be held without bail pending a Sept. 1 bail review hearing.

The judge noted that Essex is facing “multiple life sentences” if convicted as charged.

The grand jury indictment, unsealed Wednesday, charges Essex with 33 counts, including continuous sexual abuse, oral copulation with a child under 10, lewd act on a child and possession of child or youth pornography.

Three of the alleged victims are related to a woman Essex dated about 20 years ago, Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson told the judge in requesting that Essex be held without bail.

Essex initially was arrested April 8 by sheriff's investigators and booked on suspicion of one count each of lewd/lascivious acts with a child under 14 years and oral copulation with a child under the age of 14. He was released on bond that day, according to jail records.

He was rearrested about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, jail records show.

Essex was terminated after LASD criminal and internal investigations, but was reinstated by the Civil Service Commission, the Sheriff's Department said in a Wednesday statement. The statement noted the internal affairs investigation happened in 2018.

The Civil Service Commission is independent of the department and acts as an appellate body for major disciplinary actions, discharges or reductions.

Essex is currently relieved of duty and the department is in the process of removing his pay, the Sheriff's Department statement said.