A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy faces charges for allegedly giving a 14-year-old girl meth and sexually assaulting her, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Benny Caluya, 68, was arrested several weeks ago in connection with the case. He pleaded not guilty Monday to one felony count of a lewd act on a child and one felony count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.
His nephew, Clifford Abihai, 49, was also arrested and this week pleaded not guilty to one count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.
“Today, we stand firmly in solidarity with this courageous teenage survivor, a young girl whose vulnerability was exploited,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement. “It is particularly egregious that a former law enforcement officer sexually preyed upon a teenage girl and along with his accomplice supplied her with methamphetamine.”
Gascón called the alleged acts “reprehensible” and vowed to hold “these offenders accountable for their heinous actions.”
If convicted, Caluya could face nearly 10 years in prison, while Abihai could face a maximum of nine years.
Mark Gallagher, an attorney representing Caluya, declined to comment. Abihai previously he told The Times he had retained a lawyer but could not remember his attorney’s name.
According to prosecutors, in late August, Caluya and Abihai picked up a 14-year-old girl who was walking alone in Lancaster. Then, the two men allegedly gave her methamphetamine and Caluya is accused of sexually assaulting the girl at his home in Lancaster. It’s not clear from court records how long the alleged assault lasted, how long she was at the former deputy’s home or how law enforcement learned of it.
Jail records show the men were both arrested Aug. 28 by Lancaster sheriff’s deputies, then booked into jail and later released after the court granted them bond. Caluya was released on a $250,000 bond, while Abihai was released on a $100,000 bond.
State records show Caluya started his career in law enforcement in 1979, when he became a reserve deputy in Los Angeles. He then worked as a deputy at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for a little over a year before returning to L.A. County as a deputy in 1982.
He resigned in 2001, for unclear reasons, according to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. State records show his peace officer certification is no longer active.
The current criminal case is being prosecuted by district attorney’s Sex Crimes Division, and being investigated by the Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau. The next court date is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Antelope Valley Courthouse.
