LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A Manhattan Beach police officer has been charged with sending explicit messages to a 15-year-old girl.
“Instead of providing assistance and support to the victim, this officer is alleged to have abused his authority when she was most vulnerable,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “If officers break the law they were sworn to uphold, they will be held accountable for their actions by my office.”
John Cheatham was charged on February 25 with two felony counts of “contacting a minor for a sexual offense” and one misdemeanor count of “annoying or molesting a child.”
Between November 2019 and June 2020, Cheatham is accused of sending numerous sexually explicit messages through social media sites to the victim. The two had initially met when the girl was at the police station to report a crime.
“Our department is fully cooperating with the independent investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office,” Police Chief Derrick Abell said. “MBPD will always act swiftly to take appropriate action to address the conduct of any member of this organization.”
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.