Retired deputy picks up teen and sexually assaults her at his home, CA officials say

A former sheriff’s deputy was charged after being accused of sexually assaulting a teen, California officials said.

Benny Vincente Caluya Jr., 68, and Clifford Leimana Abihai, 49, picked up the teen who was walking alone in Lancaster sometime between Aug. 27 and 28, according to an Oct. 2 news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Caluya and Abihai gave the teen methamphetamine and Caluya sexually assaulted her in his home, prosecutors said.

Caluya retired from the Los Angles County Sheriff’s Department in 2001, prosecutors said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Oct. 2.

Caluya and Abihai were charged with furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, prosecutors said.

Caluya was also charged with lewd acts upon a child aged 14 or 15, prosecutors said.

“Today, we stand firmly in solidarity with this courageous teenage survivor, a young girl whose vulnerability was exploited,” District Attorney George Gascón said in the release. “It is particularly egregious that a former law enforcement officer sexually preyed upon a teenage girl and along with his accomplice supplied her with methamphetamine.”

Gascón called the allegations “utterly unacceptable.”

“We have a solemn obligation to ensure her voice is not only heard but amplified, and that she receives the comprehensive support she desperately needs through our Bureau of Victim Services. We will pursue justice with unwavering resolve, holding these offenders accountable for their heinous actions,” Gascón said.

Both men pleaded not guilty, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Caluya faces a maximum sentence of nine years and eight months in prison, and Abihai faces a maximum sentence of nine years in prison.

Both men are scheduled to reappear in court on Nov. 12, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Retired deputy picks up teen and sexually assaults her at his home, CA officials say."