HOLLYWOOD : Man Sentenced in Absentia for Assaults on Women

A Hollywood man was sentenced in absentia Monday to a two-year jail term for posing as a director and sexually assaulting women who responded to his ad for an actress to appear in a film.

Hollywood Municipal Judge Michael Mink issued a $50,000 arrest warrant for Kirk Anthony Owens, 36, after he failed to show up for his sentencing hearing.

Owens was convicted last week by a Hollywood Municipal Court jury. Mink agreed to delay sentencing until Monday to allow the defense attorney time to locate her client, who walked out of the courtroom after the second day of testimony in his trial and did not return.

When Owens did not return to court and his attorney said she did not know her client’s whereabouts, a police officer went to the defendant’s apartment and discovered that he had moved out and left no forwarding address, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Mark Lambert.

Owens had been free on $50,000 bail posted by his parents. Mink ordered the bail forfeited, Lambert said. Owens’ attorney told the judge that she had been in contact with her client since his conviction Thursday but that he would not appear for his sentencing.

Mink then imposed the two-year term, the maximum allowed by law for the offenses, and issued the arrest warrant. After an eight-day trial and two hours of deliberations, jurors found Owens guilty of one count each of sexual battery with restraint, sexual battery without restraint, battery and indecent exposure.