California prosecutor slammed after he used his 13-year-old daughter as bait to trap man, 76, accused of molesting her
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: Authorities are looking at the option of filing charges against a prosecutor after he interfered in their investigation and used his 13-year-old daughter as bait to lure a man who was a suspect in molesting the minor.
The San Jose Police Department was on the lookout for 76-year-old Ali Mohammad Lajmiri after the 13-year-old alleged that, between August and September this year, he approached her on approximately five occasions while she walked her dog on the Los Alamitos Trail between Harry Road and Camden Avenue and inappropriately touched her.
She said that each time Lajmiri approached her under the pretext of having a conversation about her dog and the last three incidents resulted in him molesting her. At the beginning of November, her father, the prosecutor, took matters into his hands and went out on the trail to find the 76-year-old, according to Mercury News. The child's mother also saw Lajmiri and notified the police about his residence so they could conduct surveillance.
However, on November 11, the prosecutor contacted police and informed them that he had a video of Lajmiri where he could be seen walking with his daughter with his arm around her and his hand on her waist.
He explained that he and his daughter had arranged for her to walk back and forth on the trail to lure Lajmiri out while they stayed in touch with cell phones and earbuds. "He stated that they had already done this several times," wrote San Jose Detective Sgt. Sean Pierce in his report on the case. "He directed (the victim) to let (the suspect) touch her if she encountered him, but if it was the breast or between the legs to move away."
Following his arrest, Lajmiri admitted to police that he had kissed the victim's head and hand, and had also sat with her, but insisted that him touching her breasts and buttocks were accidental.
He has been charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, lewd and lascivious acts on a minor under the age of 14 years by the use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear, and false imprisonment.
He is currently being held at the Sana Clara County jail on a $3 million bail and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on January 29.
State prosecutors are reportedly exploring the possibility of bringing child endangerment charges against the prosecutor as well. The prosecutor, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, and San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia have all declined to comment on the former's involvement.