LONG BEACH : Officer to Stand Trial in Rape of Prostitute
A Long Beach police officer must stand trial for allegedly forcing a professed prostitute to perform sexual acts under the threat of arrest, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Municipal Judge Elva Soper found that there was enough evidence to order Bryon Ellsberry to stand trial on single counts of oral copulation under color of authority and rape by threat to arrest. Soper dropped a third count of attempted oral copulation under color of authority.
Ellsberry was charged last month for acts that allegedly occurred while he was on duty. A self-described prostitute testified that she performed oral copulation on Ellsberry and had sexual intercourse with him--without monetary compensation--after he threatened to arrest her for unpaid warrants. She then set up a sting with Internal Affairs officers and, wearing an electronic device, agreed to perform a sexual act under threat of arrest.
The 29-year-old officer’s attorney contends that his client was set up. Arraignment is scheduled in Superior Court for June 14.
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