A former Los Angeles police officer was sentenced to prison on Wednesday after pleading no contest to statutory rape charges in the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old member of the department’s cadet program, authorities said.
Robert Cain, 32, entered no contest pleas to one count each of oral copulation and unlawful sexual intercourse, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
As part of the plea deal, Cain was sentenced to two years in prison, although he received credit for serving 405 days already, a public information officer for L.A. Superior Court told KTLA.
He will also have to register as a sex offender.
“Robert Cain’s sentencing today closes the chapter of a disturbing incident within our ranks,” an LAPD news release said. “While the Department will not comment on the specifics of the sentence, we do believe anytime an officer betrays the trust of the people we serve, it tears away at the fabric of our community. The Department remains committed to maintaining and further building our residents faith in our professionalism and integrity.”
Cain was initially accused of sexually assaulting the 15-year-old girl three different times at three different locations, including once after taking the teen to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.
The latest news release, however, indicated the defendant was accused of sexually assaulting the teen on one date, June 14, 2017 — the same day the two apparently visited the theme park together.
He was originally charged with two counts of oral copulation of a person under 16 years old, lewd acts on a child and unlawful sexual intercourse. Cain faced a maximum possible sentence of nearly 8 years in prison.
The charges against the former officer came as part of an investigation into the theft of two LAPD patrol cars that were crashed in South Los Angeles last year, officials said.
While investigating, LAPD uncovered incriminating texts between Cain and the girl, officials said.
She was one of seven cadets arrested in connection with the widening scandal involving the stolen cars, though the teen’s attorney later said prosecutors did not file charges against her.
Cain “groomed, seduced, coerced and tricked” her into engaging in sexual activities with him, giving her gifts in exchange for her silence, according to a civil complaint filed by the teen’s attorney.
The victim spoke out during court proceedings Wednesday, and a copy of her statement was provided to KTLA by the family’s attorney.
In her statement, the teen called Cain a “monster” and said how, in the aftermath of the abuse, her life became a “mess” and she “no longer felt safe around anyone.”
She described being bulled at school and the insults hurled at her by classmates.
“I had to question if life was even worth living. All because of you,” she said, describing her darkest moments as she shut out the world around her.
The teen went on: “I was harsh on myself thinking I might’ve been the monster. But the monster was you all along.”
Her mother said she didn’t learn about the abuse until she awoke one night to her daughter crying. Inside the girl’s room, she saw a window broken and a stuffed elephant — given to the victim by the defendant — ripped apart.
Investigators had looked into whether Cain’s relationship with the teen helped the cadet’s gain access to police equipment and the vehicles – something then-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck indicated was possible when the arrest was announced in June of last year.
Beck personally went down to the department’s 77th Street Division to make the arrest himself, even placing Cain in handcuffs.
“I find the actions of Cain, if they are proven, to be despicable. I find them to be absolutely inconsistent with the ethics and standards of the Los Angeles Police Department, and they are criminal, and I’m a police officer,” the chief said at a news conference where he announced the arrest.
The probe into Cain’s actions also led police to uncover nearly 100 firearms when they searched his home in Rancho Cucamonga that same month, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier this year, he pleaded no contest to illegal weapons charges, including manufacturing an assault weapon and possessing a “bump stock,” the Times reported.
As part of the plea deal in that case, he was sentenced to two years in county jail.
Cain’s attorney told the newspaper his client would serve the sentences consecutively, noting the other agreement was struck with San Bernardino County prosecutors.
Meanwhile, the teen has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles alleging, among other things, negligence and emotional distress. The lawsuit doesn’t specify how much she’s seeking in damages, but her attorney says what they’re fighting for is changes in the department and the mishandling of the cadet program.
“I may not be able to take back that part of my life that you took away,” she told the defendant during her statement in court. “Nor will I be able to completely erase the damage you did to me and the effect it had on my life.
“But I can stand up for myself and any girl who has ever had to face horrible people like you as well as other girls who have fallen victim to your sick actions. You have always gotten your way, but today I hope to see that justice is served the way it should be,” she said.
KTLA’s Dianne Sanchez contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story, as well as a push notification sent to KTLA app users, featured L.A. Times reporting indicating Cain pleaded guilty to the two charges; the DA’s office later told KTLA he entered a no contest plea. This post has been updated with KTLA’s reporting.
