San Diego

A former probation officer at Juvenile Hall who was charged with molesting 10 girls pleaded no contest Thursday to contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Randall Denny, 50, of San Diego, was immediately sentenced at his request to the 10 days in jail he has already served under three years probation.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Thomas Whelan dismissed five felony and 15 misdemeanor counts of child molestation as part of the plea bargain. Most of the charges represented unlawful touchings by the defendant.

Denny agreed to drop a lawsuit he had filed seeking to reinstate him in a similar position with the county.

No fine was imposed.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Caryn Rosen said the plea was taken because “it was not in the best interest” of the girls to have to testify once more.

The alleged victims, ages 14 to 17 at the time of the 1988 and 1989 incidents, testified at a preliminary hearing and later at Denny’s trial in June, 1990.

A mistrial was declared after the jury reported that it was deadlocked on every single count. The votes were widely split, with jurors saying they hung for acquittal on some charges and hung for a guilty verdict on others.