In an astonishing turn of events, a 15-year-old girl who claimed she was gang raped after school in San Diego on Friday now tells detectives she was scared and ashamed about meeting a man online and having consensual sex with him.
After an extensive investigation that consisted of numerous interviews and lasted more than 72 hours, Sheriff’s detectives finally procured the truth from the high school sophomore. Captain Sherri Sarro said at a late afternoon press conference that the girl had been remorseful and said she lied because “she was embarrassed, ashamed and afraid.”
Regardless of the consensual nature of the act, authorities say the adult male is on the hook for several crimes like luring a minor for sexual favors online, statutory rape and — depending on his age — a misdemeanor. Also, if there is a 10-year-age difference from his victim, he will face felony charges. In either case the male would be tagged as a sexual predator the rest of his life.
On the other hand the minor could possibly face a few charges herself; lying to police, filing a fake police report and be billed for a case that cost law enforcement tens of thousands dollars to investigate.
Spokesperson for the San Diego Sheriff Department, Jan Caldwell knew the case would be solved correctly in the end. “Our detectives are pros at what they do.”
An event that rocked the small North County community for days have parents breathing a sigh of relief. “At the very least this opens the door for parental conversations about safety and the perils of lying,” said Carol Smith a parent of a son who attends San Dieguito High School where the alleged event occurred.