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Child Molester Given 6 Years, Then Goes Free Pending Appeal

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

A Redondo Beach karate instructor was sentenced Thursday to six years in state prison for molesting an 11-year-old student, but was set free on $50,000 bail pending the outcome of his appeal.

A Torrance Superior Court jury last month convicted Lewis G. Calliham, 31, on three counts of committing a lewd act upon a child. Another jury earlier this year failed to reach a verdict after hearing testimony in the case.

Judge William Hollingsworth ordered Calliham to serve six years in prison, but Calliham’s attorney asked that he be released until his appeal could be heard. Hollingsworth granted the request, and a bail bondsman waiting in court immediately filed the papers required to set Calliham free.

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Because Calliham is out on bail, he is not required to register as a sex offender, stay away from children, report regularly to a parole officer or enroll in any treatment program.

The action infuriated the mother of Calliham’s young victim.

“It’s absolutely outrageous,” said the Rancho Palos Verdes woman, who asked that her name not be used to protect the identity of her daughter, now 13. “We have been willing to put our family through 22 months of absolutely misery . . . in order to protect society from this man and now our efforts are unsuccessful because of a judge who let him walk.”

Neither Hollingsworth nor Calliham’s defense attorney could be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Geltz said Calliham’s appeal could take years to complete.

“I am very pleased with the sentence that was imposed, but I am definitely disappointed that he will not be serving it immediately,” Geltz said. “It’s my feeling that he will ultimately serve the six years in custody, but when that will happen is anybody’s guess at this point.”

According to court records, police had investigated Calliham on two earlier allegations of child molestation before he was arrested in this case.

The current case, which was filed in May, 1990, began after Calliham invited the girl to participate in the filming of a movie about self-defense for children.

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Police began investigating Calliham’s actions after the girl’s mother complained to Harbor College officials about him. The mother said that Calliham had asked her daughter to join a group of students at a school near Harbor College for the filming, but she was the only one present.

Authorities said that Calliham took her to Redondo Beach and that no film crew ever showed up. Investigators questioned the girl, who said Calliham had fondled her and forced her to perform oral sex on him that day.

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