LAKEPORT — A Lake County judge reset bail at the original amount of $75,000 in the case against a 53-year-old Lucerne man for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old family member.
Klinton King returned to custody in the Lake County Jail.
King is charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 years old, sexual assault against a minor and forced oral copulation.
Attorneys stipulated that if the alleged victim were to testify, she would ask the court that King was released from custody.
Defense attorney Stephen Carter said the victim would like King to be released from custody but not to come home as a restraining order still stands against the defendant.
Carter said he doesn”t think King poses a risk to anyone else because alleged sex offenders tend to molest those they don”t know well or family, not both. King had been living with the victim for a long time. Carter said the victim feels no threat from King.
The defense attorney added that with King”s medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes, it would be better for the government and King for him to be out of jail.
“We don”t want him dying while in custody,” Carter said.
Senior deputy district attorney Rachel Abelson said the victim was reluctant to come forward because of the potential harm to her family.
“She didn”t want that outcome for the family,” Abelson said. “That wasn”t something the defendant considered when he molested a 12-year-old.”
Abelson said there are three other children in the family and thinks King poses a risk to them and the public.
Judge Richard Martin said courts typically don”t give a lot of weight to the victim”s request to have the defendant out of custody in these type of cases with interfamily relations.
“Victims of child molestation testify they want that person to come home,” Martin said. “I”m not sure that”s in the person”s best interest. I”m not sure that”s in the best interest of the public.”
Martin said based on the warrant and reports, King poses a risk to the safety of the public and the victim.
Carter said King is considering a plea bargain to two counts with a maximum of 10 years in prison.
King is scheduled to return to court 9 a.m. Friday in Department 2.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
