After a months-long sexual misconduct investigation, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Fischer surrendered to authorities Thursday and is facing 14 criminal charges, eight of them felonies. Fischer pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $100,000.
Fischer is facing sexual battery, assault and battery by officer and false imprisonment charges.
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At the arraignment Thursday, interim District Attorney Summer Stephan said there are 12 victims, who ranged in age from late 20s to late 60s. Stephan said the alleged crimes occurred while Fischer was on duty, for over two and a half years between May 2015 and October 2017. The judge granted restraining orders to the 12 women.
During a press conference after the arraignment, Stephan said that “some of these women were under arrest when these sexually-based assaults happened. Others were vulnerable women calling 911 to get help with domestic violence situations or residential burglary when they encountered Fischer’s advances.”
“Again this reinforces that crimes of this nature are not about the victim. They are about the offender and the assertion of power and control,” Summers added.
San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore stated that his department worked closely with the DA’s Office and her staff, dedicating significant resources to the investigation.
“Our department does not and will not tolerate actions, such as those, allegedly perpetrated by Richard Fischer,” Sheriff Gore said during the press conference.
“When any deputy conducts himself in an inappropriate manner, it affects not only every deputy in the sheriff’s department but also every peace officer in this country and across the country. That's why we take them so seriously because depend on that trust between the public that we serve and law enforcement.”
Charges against Fischer include sexual battery, assault and battery by an officer and false imprisonment. pic.twitter.com/91VjGpimtN
— Andrew Bowen (@acbowen) February 22, 2018
The County Sheriff's Department opened a criminal probe last year into allegations that the deputy behaved in a sexually inappropriate way with women during arrests, welfare checks and a burglary investigation. Fischer was placed on administrative leave when the first allegations against him came to light last October. The six-year veteran was removed from paid-leave status in January.
Some women claim he fondled them during pat-downs. One said he put her "hand on his crotch and rubbed it a couple of times."
Dan Gilleon, the attorney representing the alleged victims, said he is pleased the district attorney filed charges for 12 of his 14 clients. His main concern now, he said, is that Fischer pleads guilty to the "actual charges that he committed, not to these lesser charges that let him kind of walk away from this and without having to register as a sex offender."
"I just think it's not the right thing for society to let people who should be registered as sex offenders get a good deal like that simply because they are cops," Gilleon said.
The district attorney asks if there are any other victims out there that they come forward and call 619-531-3965.
