Newscaster Arrested on Suspicion of Molestation

A veteran KNX-AM news reporter and anchorman was arrested in the middle of his nightly newscast on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old girl, Simi Valley police said Thursday.

Simi Valley police detectives arrived at the Hollywood radio station about 8 p.m. Wednesday to arrest reporter Bruce Bernhart, Simi Valley Police Lt. Robert Klamser said. But at the request of station officials, they waited until another KNX reporter was found to fill in for the remainder of the newscaster’s on-air shift, Klamser said.

KNX News Director Bob Sims asked detectives to wait until the end of Bernhart’s shift before arresting him, but officers refused to wait for fear that he could somehow elude arrest, Klamser said.

Bernhart, 39, was arrested about 30 minutes after he was replaced by fellow KNX reporter Andrew Amador, Klamser said.

When Bernhart walked out of the booth, Simi Valley detectives--accompanied by two Los Angeles Police Department officers--arrested him.

“There was no resistance, no scuffling, no arguing, no shouting, nothing like that,” Klamser said. “We felt the station was very cooperative with us, and our guys bent over backwards to minimize the disruption of an obviously disrupting situation for the station.”

Bernhart, a Simi Valley resident, was arrested in connection with the alleged molestation of a 13-year-old girl who came to his house on Wednesday to interview for a baby-sitting job, Klamser said.

According to Klamser, the unidentified girl had been sent to Bernhart’s house by a youth employment service program. She was applying for a job as baby-sitter for Bernhart’s two children, Klamser said.

He said that when the girl arrived, Bernhart allegedly told her that he wanted her to participate in a game. He then allegedly blindfolded the girl and engaged in sexual touching, Klamser said. He said the girl went home and told her parents about the incident. She and her parents then filed a report with Simi Valley police.

Klamser said the girl was not injured or detained against her will.

KNX has not decided what action, if any, to take with Bernhart, who has worked at the station for 10 years, Sims said.

“We’re looking into the situation,” Sims said. “It’s very early in this. We are very interested and very concerned. Beyond that, I don’t have any comment.”

Bernhart was released from jail on his own recognizance about 2 p.m. Thursday. He is due in court on June 26.