Man is sentenced to 180 days in jail for assaulting sunbathers on beaches

SAN DIEGO — A 48year-old man accused of sneaking up to sunbathing women on San Diego beaches and kissing them on the buttocks was sentenced to 180 days in county jail for misdemeanor sexual battery and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Keith Lamar Rogers was convicted by a jury Wednesday, the city attorney’s office said. Prosecutors said Rogers had a conviction for similar behavior in 2019.

San Diego County Superior Court Judge David Gill issued a criminal protective order barring Rogers from having any contact with his most recent victim and banning him from all county beaches for three years.

Prosecutors said Rogers, who went by the nickname “Peacock Birdman” and signed that name on court documents, would prey on women who were sunbathing at beaches.

He was convicted of targeting a sunbather in Pacific Beach on Sept. 7, when he stealthily approached her and kissed her buttocks, according to the city attorney’s office.

Rogers was wearing an electronic tracking bracelet on his ankle, a condition of his release on the earlier conviction.

“Everyone should feel free to enjoy San Diego’s beautiful beaches and outdoor spaces without fear of sexual assault,” City Atty. Mara Elliott said in a statement.

“Our office takes these cases seriously, and we will continue to protect our communities from sexual predators,” Elliott said.

The victim in the first case — who was assaulted while on the beach at La Jolla Shores in July 2019 — returned to court and provided emotional testimony in this week’s case, the city attorney’s office said.

In the earlier case, Rogers was sentenced to the maximum of 180 days in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender.

The court issued a protective order for the victim as well.