Councilman Charged With Molestation

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s sergeant recently elected to the Palmdale City Council was charged Wednesday with 17 felony counts of child molestation, sexual abuse, oral copulation and other charges that allegedly involve four girls in incidents dating back to 1990, authorities said.

Sheriff’s officials said late Wednesday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Kevin Wright Carney, 48, of Palmdale, but that he had not turned himself in to deputies. Bail for Carney was set at $2 million.

“He is considered a fugitive,” said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Carney’s attorney, Milton Grimes, did not return calls. All of the alleged victims were Antelope Valley residents under age 14 when the crimes were believed to have taken place, Gibbons said.

If convicted of all charges, Carney faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, Gibbons said.

“It’s a very serious case,” Gibbons said. “You have very serious charges; you have four young victims. We are taking it very seriously.”

The alleged crimes are believed to have taken place while Carney was off duty, Gibbons said.

The investigation and charges stem from the most recent alleged victim, a 14-year-old girl, who went to the Lancaster sheriff’s station Oct. 28 saying that Carney had molested her. Carney was arrested the next day and placed on paid leave from the Sheriff’s Department.

Four days after his arrest, the 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department was elected to the Palmdale City Council. He took office while the allegations were being investigated.

The charges filed Wednesday include:

* 10 counts of continuous sexual abuse, child molestation, oral copulation and statutory rape against the most recent victim. The alleged incidents began when the girl was 6 in April 1990 and continued until she was 14 last year, Gibbons said.

* One count of child molestation with a girl under 14 that allegedly took place between Sept. 1 and 15, 1994.

* Three counts of child molestation with a third girl, age 8, that occurred from June 1, 1996, through March 7, 1997. Also, three additional counts of child molestation with a fourth girl, age 7, that took place during the same time.

Carney was also charged with possession of child pornography, a misdemeanor. Gibbons said the material was found in Carney’s briefcase, but the prosecutor did not know if they were pictures of the alleged victims.

If Carney is convicted of a felony, he would be removed from the five-member City Council, as required by state election rules, Palmdale city officials said.

Carney is a former president of the Antelope Valley Union High School board and he also once supervised the sheriff’s child-abuse detail for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys. Carney was most recently assigned to the Lancaster sheriff’s station.

Carney and his former attorney, Michael Paxton, have long maintained the molestation charges were politically motivated, but sheriff’s officials and prosecutors have consistently denied those claims.

Three years ago, Carney said he faced a similar round of accusations prior to his bid for mayor of Palmdale.

In March 1997, Carney was accused of inappropriately touching two young neighborhood girls, but an investigation by the district attorney’s office produced no charges. Carney pushed ahead with his campaign but lost the November 1997 election.

His arrest last fall cost Carney a key endorsement from Assemblyman George Runner Jr. (R-Lancaster). Carney’s campaign committee also geared down as political observers predicted defeat.

But Carney was elected with the help of absentee votes.

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the charges against Carney are problematic for the city.

The council has no authority to remove Carney unless he is convicted of a felony, Ledford said. But the mayor said an extended absence could paralyze city government, and he said he would consult with Palmdale’s city attorney to determine the council’s options.

Carney, who is married with three adult children, had previously said he filed papers to retire from the Sheriff’s Department.

Times staff writer Jeffrey Gettleman contributed to this story.