REPORT STAFF
California’s Riverside (KABC) — Federal civil rights lawsuits have been filed by the victims of a sexual extortion plan involving a former Riverside County sheriff’s deputy. The claims allege Riverside County officials participated in a scheme to conceal the crimes.
Christian Heidecker entered a guilty plea to 13 felony counts last month after he threatened to punish women under house arrest unless they submitted him sexually explicit content.
He was later given a five-year state jail sentence.
One of the victims, whose only identification is her initials Y. V., spoke out alongside her attorneys in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Riverside on Thursday afternoon to announce the filing of federal cases.
“What they did was wrong,” claimed Y. V. of the alleged efforts of Riverside County officials to suppress them once Heidecker’s crimes became known. “What they continue to do is wrong and we will not be silenced.”
According to attorney Denisse Gastelum, county authorities conned K. P., another victim, into a sheriff’s substation so that they could be coerced into signing settlement agreements.
Regarding the purported conspiracy, Gastelum remarked, “What they did to K. P. is disgusting.” “They misled her. They informed her that the GPS wasn’t registering her whereabouts and that her ankle bracelet wasn’t functioning. After tricking her into returning to the station, they placed her in a room with inquirers.
“Knowing where she was at, she was afraid and signed this release. And for that, they offered her a $5,000 check to ensure that K. P. would keep her mouth shut and wouldn’t tell the public what a government official here in Riverside County did to her.”
Ten days later, according to Gastelum, county officials changed their minds and refuted the allegations.
A Riverside County representative gave Eyewitness News a statement in response to the cases.
According to Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico, “The County of Riverside has more than 25,000 employees, all of whom are held to high professional standards.”
All of the people we serve need to be treated with dignity and respect. Not only is criminal activity undesirable but it is also reported by law enforcement. In this instance, the county looked into the matter, made an arrest, brought charges, and found Heidecker guilty. Since then, he has received a prison sentence.
Regarding settlement agreements, it is customary to look for a settlement before going to court in order to save both parties the time and money that come with litigation. Non-disclosure clauses are not present in pre-litigation agreements. Describing any pre-litigation settlement as an attempt to purchase silence is blatantly inaccurate.
“Upon receipt of these lawsuits, the County will review them thoroughly to determine next steps.”