Former Fresno County sheriff’s deputy pleads not guilty to sexual abuse of child

Video from a secret camera in a Fresno girl’s bedroom led to the arrest of a former Fresno County sheriff’s deputy who was arraigned Thursday on a felony charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old.

Rex Garcia, 71, was a well-known Superior Court bailiff before his retirement in December 2013.

Thursday, he stood before Judge Jonathan Conklin and pleaded not guilty.

After his plea, Conklin allowed Garcia to remain free on $40,000 bail. His next court appearance is Oct. 28.

A criminal complaint accused Garcia of sexually abusing the girl from August 2009 to August this year.

If convicted, Garcia faces up to 16 years in prison, according to the California Penal Code.

Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said Garcia was a deputy sheriff for 15 years but was on leave of absence for his last six years of duty. “He officially retired in December of 2013, but his last day physically working here was in 2007,” Botti said in an email.

The criminal complaint stems from a Fresno Police Department investigation that began Aug. 31 when a man reported to police that his 13-year-old daughter told him Garcia had been molesting her.

Initially, the father had difficulty believing his daughter because the suspect had been in law enforcement, according to a summary provided by police Lt. Joe Gomez.

“The father was also concerned that law enforcement would cover up the incident and not investigate,” the summary said.

To get evidence, the father placed a video camera in his daughter’s bedroom. “The video setup was successful, and it showed the suspect going into the bedroom and placing his hands under the covers, touching the victim,” the summary said.

After police detectives saw the video, they had probable cause to arrest Garcia.

Because Garcia had four guns registered to him, detectives put his central Fresno home under surveillance and waited for him to leave.

On Sept. 2, patrol cars stopped Garcia after he left his home. “The suspect was in possession of a handgun,” the summary said, adding that three other guns were found in Garcia’s home. He was then booked into jail.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Former Fresno County sheriff’s deputy pleads not guilty to sexual abuse of child."