A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for sexual assaults on six inmates at a women’s jail in Lynwood, prosecutors said.
Giancarlo Scotti, 33, pleaded no contest earlier this month to six felony and two misdemeanor counts of sexual activity with a detainee at the Century Regional Detention Center, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
The maximum sentence he could be given was seven years and four months in prison.
The alleged misconduct occurred in August and September 2017. Officials say the women Scotti targeted ranged in age from 24 to 42.
In one instance, Scotti ordered two cellmates to perform oral sex on him, then took the women to the showers and had unlawful sex with them, prosecutors said.
The deputy also had an inmate perform oral sex on him in her cell in another case, officials said.
Scotti was a 10-year veteran of the force when the crimes were uncovered.
Sheriff’s detectives initially arrested Scotti in September 2017 on suspicion of sexually assaulting two inmates, then again in February 2018 after additional victims came forward. In both instances, Scotti was released the following day after posting bail.
Inmate records show Scotti was taken back into custody around 11:40 a.m. Thursday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
At the time of his arrest, the sheriff said he expected Scotti to face charges of rape under color of authority and oral copulation under color of authority. Prosecutors ultimately filed lesser charges of “sexual activity with a detainee in a detention facility,” which is defined in the California Penal Code as sex between a public officer and a “consenting adult” and carries a maximum sentence of one year behind bars per count.
The conviction does not require registration as a sex offender.
Under California law, rape is punishable by anywhere from three to eight years in prison per count.
Officials say Scotti’s no contest plea was not entered as part of a deal negotiated with prosecutors.
KTLA’s Brian Day contributed to this report.
