30-year-old deputy accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl in California home

A deputy has been charged after being accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old, California prosecutors said.

Bryan Cardoso, 30, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, is accused of sexually assaulting the 13-year-old girl in his Cudahy home in 2022, according to a news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Cardoso is charged with one count of lewd act upon a child under age 14, prosecutors said Sept. 18. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

“I am heartbroken and outraged by the egregious assault on an innocent 13-year-old girl by someone who was entrusted with protecting our community. This child has endured an unimaginable violation of trust,” District Attorney George Gascón said in the release.

Cardoso was arrested on Sept. 12, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told McClatchy News in a statement.

“The Deputy has been relieved of duty since September 21, 2022, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation,” the department said.

In September 2022, the East Los Angeles sheriff’s station got two complaints accusing a family member’s boyfriend in the sexual assault of a 13-year-old and her 17-year-old sister, according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The outlet noted that it’s “not clear when or where an alleged incident involving the older girl may have occurred, and it does not appear to have resulted in criminal charges.”

The man was identified as Cardoso, the outlet reported.

If convicted, Cardoso faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, prosecutors said.

Cardoso was released on a $100,000 bond on Sept. 12, prosecutors said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Nov. 8, prosecutors said.

Cudahy is about a 10-mile drive southeast of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 19, 2024 at 4:18 PM with the headline "30-year-old deputy accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl in California home."