Man in Wheelchair Imprisoned on Sex Charge
A wheelchair-bound Carson man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in state prison for sexually molesting the 10-year-old daughter of his live-in lover. The girl’s mother was sentenced to six years in prison for her role in the crimes.
John Bertram, 40, an automobile dealer, was found guilty last Nov. 20 of four counts of child molesting and one count of forced oral copulation involving the girl.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury that decided the case also returned guilty verdicts against Leila Forbes, 44, the victim’s mother, who was charged with three counts of child molesting and one count of forced oral copulation.
Both were sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert L. Roberson Jr.
The crimes occurred between November, 1982, and May, 1983, in Bertram’s home in Carson, which he shared with Forbes and her daughter, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Eleanor E. Barrett.
During the six-week trial, the victim testified that her mother repeatedly tried to coax her into having sex with Bertram, who was restricted to a wheelchair or crutches after his toes were damaged during a medical procedure, the prosecutor said.
Authorities were alerted when neighbors heard the girl screaming one afternoon while Bertram was attempting to have sex with her, Barrett said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
