A Garden Grove police officer was charged with five felonies in connection with an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 16-year-old volunteer of the department, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, 32-year-old Roberto Machuca is facing three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger than him, one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object of a minor, and one felony count of oral copulation with a minor. <\/p>\n
The Riverside resident was an employee of Garden Grove PD starting in 2019 and at one point served as an advisor for the department’s Explorer Program. The program provides people between 14 and 21 a chance to work as a volunteer with the PD, gaining experience in law enforcement.<\/p>\n
The alleged victim was a 16-year-old volunteer with the Explorer Program, police said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Law enforcement officers occupy a position of immense trust, and he exploited that trust to take advantage of a child for his own sexual gratification,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “That conduct will never be tolerated among the ranks of those sworn to protect and serve, and justice will be pursued to the fullest extent.” \u00a0<\/p>\n