Man Guilty of Acid Attack on Girl

A 65-year-old convicted child molester was found guilty Wednesday of virtually destroying the face of a teen-age girl and blinding her in an acid attack following a failed rape attempt.

The Superior Court jury of eight women and four men deliberated slightly over three hours before convicting Jack Oscar King, a former maintenance man at the victim’s apartment complex, of all eight counts against him.

The case hinged on the testimony of former San Bernardino High School student Cheryl Bess, 16, as she recalled her last hours of sight before sulfuric acid ate away her eyelids and corneas.

In testimony last week, Cheryl gave a detailed description of a man who closely resembles King, as well as his clothes, van and house.

Recognized Assailant

She testified that the man, whom she recognized from the housing project where she lived with her mother, offered her a ride to school the morning of Oct. 24, 1984.

But instead of taking her to school, she said, he drove her to the desert near Hesperia, about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, sexually attacked her, tried to choke her, then poured acid on her face in an effort to prevent her from identifying him.

The eight counts on which King was convicted were kidnap, attempted murder, attempted rape, forcible oral copulation, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a corrosive liquid, mayhem and assault with intent to commit rape.

He faces more than 30 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 11.

San Bernardino County Deputy Dist. Atty. Dwight Moore, who prosecuted the case, had complained that he was not allowed to tell jurors that King served a 14-year state prison sentence for kidnaping and sexually molesting a 9-year-old Los Angeles girl because it would unfairly prejudice them.

Moore told jurors that the case was “straightforward” because Bess described King as the man who attacked her with “incredible clarity” and accuracy.

“Cheryl is wrong in a few details,” Moore said, “but the fact that she was right in countless details is overwhelming. It is amazing how perfect she was. Maybe that’s because they are the last memories she has of the visible world.”

Defense attorney William Dole, however, had pointed out some inconsistencies in the victim’s story, saying that those proved that King was not the assailant.

Cheryl described her attacker as fat, about 200 pounds, but King is of normal weight for his 5-feet, 4-inch height. She said he wore coveralls, but none were found at his house.

Also puzzling were the girl’s initial comments to paramedics and investigators that, “they forced me into the van” and “help me, they poured acid on me.”