help
collapse
Press one of the expand buttons to see the full text of an article. Later press collapse to revert to the original form. The buttons below expand or collapse all articles.
expand
collapse
Your Bra or Your Kids
December 3, 2010 permalink
Los Angeles social worker Eddie Lorghaba told a mother to let him inside her bra or he would take her kids.
expand
collapse
Social worker charged with sexually assaulting woman
Authorities say L.A. County child abuse investigator's saliva was found on the woman's bra, and she reportedly told him she'd do anything to keep her child. He could face up to four years in prison.
L.A. County social worker Yadullah "Eddie" Lorghaba, 53, turned himself in to the Van Nuys courthouse and is out on bail.(LAPD / December 1, 2010)A Los Angeles County child abuse investigator was arrested Wednesday after authorities said they found evidence that he sexually assaulted the mother of a child whose safety he was assigned to assess.
Yadullah "Eddie" Lorghaba, 53, turned himself in at the L.A. County Superior Court in Van Nuys under an agreement reached between his attorney and police. He was released about eight hours later on $75,000 bail.
He faces a single felony count of sexual battery with prior restraint, according to Los Angeles County district attorney officials. If found guilty, he would face a maximum sentence of four years, according to the complaint filed against him.
The welfare of the child was under investigation after the mother was arrested on shoplifting charges in September, according to county records.
According to police, the 30-year old woman said Lorghaba "forced her to submit to unwanted sexual advances after threatening to remove her children from her home."
"After the assault, the suspect told her he would not be removing her children that day; however, he would be returning the following week for another follow-up visit," according to an LAPD news release about the case.
She reported the alleged assault at her Woodland Hills home to the county's Department of Children and Family Services and law enforcement. According to county records, she reported to authorities that she told Lorghaba she would do anything to keep her child with her.
Police discovered Lorghaba's DNA in saliva found on the woman's bra.
Lorghaba was originally scheduled to surrender to authorities Tuesday under an agreement worked out by his attorney, but it was postponed for unknown reasons. The felony complaint was filed Monday, said a spokeswoman for the district attorney.
Lorghaba, of Valley Village, did not return a phone call seeking comment. He was most recently assigned to the West San Fernando Valley office.
"The county is obviously embarrassed by this type of conduct," said Ryan Alsop, a county spokesman who said the department is moving to terminate Lorghaba.
After the alleged sexual assault, he was placed on desk duty. On Tuesday he was placed on a 30-day unpaid administrative leave.
LAPD detectives said Wednesday that they were trying to determine whether the alleged incident was isolated and asked anyone else with allegations against Lorghaba to come forward.
Child welfare department officials said no prior complaints about his performance or conduct had been filed. The department's internal affairs unit, however, has already found serious problems in his management of cases involving abused and neglected children. In three instances, the unit believes he falsified investigation reports, according to county records.
Source: Los Angeles Times
