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View Winners → Crime Sep 21, 2023
Christian Phillip Heidecker. | Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department
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A Riverside County sheriff’s correctional deputy accused of engaging in sex acts with female inmates on home detention as part of an extortion scheme was charged Wednesday with nearly 20 felony offenses.
Christian Phillip Heidecker, 32, of Menifee, was arrested Friday following an investigation by the sheriff’s department.
Heidecker is charged with three counts each of being a detention officer engaging in sex while on duty and witness intimidation, as well as four counts each of attempted penetration with a foreign object, extortion and a public official seeking bribes.
The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Banning Justice Center.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Brosche, last month, investigators were tipped off to alleged criminal behavior on the part of Heidecker, who was then assigned to the Alternative Sentencing Program, working out of the Coordinated Custody Management Unit in Banning.
The program enables inmates to serve time on home confinement, in lieu of jail, wearing ankle monitors to track their whereabouts and ensure compliance with the terms of their sentences.
The ensuing investigation revealed that Heidecker had allegedly exploited his position of authority, targeting four female inmates, identified in court documents only by their initials — “A.A.,” “A.R.,” “K.P.” and “O.C.”
The deputy allegedly engaged in unspecified sexual activity with the women, capturing video and still images, according to the criminal complaint.
It was unclear what Heidecker allegedly told the inmates to gain their compliance.
The complaint stated that the defendant then tried to “extort money and other property (from the victims) by means of a wrongful use of force and fear … (using) sexually explicit photographs and videos.”
When it became evident that one or more of the victims was going to report him, Heidecker allegedly tried to prevent them from talking, possibly through intimidation, according to court papers.
Heidecker turned himself in Friday afternoon in Murrieta.
The defendant is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
There was no word regarding how long he has worked for the sheriff’s department or been in law enforcement.
Deputy allegedly caught transporting large amount of narcotics posts bail
A Riverside County sheriff’s correctional deputy allegedly caught transporting a sizable quantity of drugs on Interstate 10 was released from custody Wednesday after posting a $1 million bond.
Jorge Alberto Oceguera Rocha, 25, of Banning was arrested and booked into the Byrd Detention Center on Sunday on suspicion of transportation of drugs in excess of 44 pounds, possession of narcotics and possession of controlled substances while armed.
Rocha immediately tendered his resignation after being booked into the Murrieta jail, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Wenndy Brito Gonzalez.
Jail records indicated that Rocha secured bail early Wednesday morning and was let out. His speedy arraignment guarantee under state law would have timed out Wednesday afternoon. It was unclear whether the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office was prepared to file charges against the deputy.
Gonzalez said Rocha was driving in the area of I-10 and County Line Road in Calimesa when he was stopped by law enforcement in the predawn hours Sunday.
“It was discovered that Rocha was in possession of narcotics,” the sheriff’s spokeswoman said. “No additional details will be released at this time, as the case is still under investigation.”
The suspect was hired by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in April 2019, but it was unclear how long he had been assigned to the jail.
The drugs allegedly in his vehicle weren’t identified, and there was no word on whether Rocha was suspected of selling the substances in the correctional system, where multiple drug-related deaths have occurred, leading to a lawsuit earlier this year.
“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department condemns any form of illegal activity and remains resolute in its commitment to deterring and preventing such behavior,” according to Gonzalez.
