Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Man Is Convicted of Molesting Girl : Crime: Reputed gang member Christopher O’Dell, 19, faces up to eight years in prison. He was found not guilty on two other charges.

A reputed gang member was convicted Tuesday of molesting a 12-year-old girl while she was in the bathroom at a friend’s house, unaware the residence had turned into a popular gang hangout.

Christopher O’Dell, 19, faces up to eight years in state prison on one felony count of committing a lewd act on a child, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Noyes. O’Dell was found not guilty of two other counts--forcible rape and committing a lewd act on a child using force.

The jury in Superior Court in Van Nuys deliberated for only four hours before returning the verdict.

“I’m happy with the verdict,” Noyes said, “because it did say that, although the jury had reasonable doubt about force being used, they did believe something wrong did occur.”

Thomas Kascoutas, O’Dell’s attorney, denied in court that the attack occurred. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The girl, now 13, testified during the five-day trial that the attack occurred the night of July 9, 1993, while she was at a party at the house in the 21500 block of Carol Sue Lane.

She said she decided to take a shower after a shaving cream fight with others at the party and that O’Dell sexually assaulted her in the bathroom.

Many of the youths at the party, including O’Dell, were gang members, said Deputy John Hudson of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. Hudson said the house had became a popular hangout for members of a particular gang that summer.

“The parent left and left the place in the care of his daughter, who was 20 and was dating a gang member,” Hudson said. “She was 20, but not using a whole lot of judgment at the time. Before long (the gang members) took over the house.”

The 12-year-old girl attacked by O’Dell did not know about the gang activities, Hudson said. “She was an innocent victim who didn’t know this was going on,” he said. “She was a friend of the little sister of (the 20-year-old) at the house.”

Sheriff’s deputies and officers from other police agencies arrested 10 to 15 suspected members of the gang in subsequent months--about three-fourths of its total membership--on charges including assault, robbery and drug offenses, Hudson said.

He said a couple of the arrests were made at the house, which is now vacant.

O’Dell was free on $50,000 bail before the verdict was reached, but was taken into custody following the jury’s decision. He will be sentenced Tuesday.

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