A former Division of Homeland Safety worker was convicted Thursday, March 23, of molesting two women in Irvine, inappropriately touching a 3rd lady and destroying proof previous to his arrest.
An Orange County Superior Courtroom jury discovered Terry Edward Keegan, 59, responsible of a felony rely of lewd acts with a baby and misdemeanor counts of kid annoyance, sexual battery, battery and destruction of proof.
The jurors acquitted Keegan of a half-dozen different felonies, together with steady sexual abuse of a kid and a number of different counts of lewd acts with a minor. Keegan — who had confronted greater than 20 years in jail if convicted as charged — now faces as much as eight years behind bars.
One of many women lived with Keegan and his girlfriend, in line with prosecutors, whereas the opposite two have been her mates. One was 8 years previous when the abuse started.
The primary accusation surfaced in 2016, in line with court docket paperwork, when a woman advised a physician that Keegan would inappropriately contact her when she visited her buddy. These allegations have been apparently not investigated on the time.
In 2021, the lady who lived with Keegan and one other buddy, each of whom have been 16 on the time, have been hanging round Keegan throughout Spring Break, in line with prosecutors. The buddy advised her mom that Keegan had made inappropriate feedback, touched her buttocks and insisted on taking the ladies purchasing for bathing fits.
When contacted by authorities, the lady who lived with Keegan stated he routinely slapped her “jokingly” on the buttocks and photographed her in bathing fits, prosecutors stated, and recalled that years earlier he had slipped his tongue into her mouth on one event whereas kissing her goodnight.
Throughout her closing arguments earlier this week, Deputy District Legal professional Juliet Oliver advised jurors that Keegan groomed the ladies so as to “normalize” his sexual conduct.
“The defendant knew precisely what he was doing every time,’ the prosecutor stated.
Keegan denied the allegations, prosecutors stated, however after being contacted by police started to routinely examine a legislation enforcement database for any warrants taken out towards him. Police later discovered a damaged exhausting drive and damaged USB reminiscence sticks in a trash can exterior Keegan’s house, prosecutors added.
Keegan’s lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Jay Moorhead, denied that Keegan’s conduct was sexual. Keegan cherished to buy, cherished pictures and would playfully throw the ladies round once they have been within the pool, the protection lawyer stated.
“He's a unusual man,” Moorhead stated. “May that be misinterpreted? Positive, in fact it might.”
Keegan couldn’t recall ever kissing the lady together with his tongue, his lawyer stated, and denied destroying any proof.
Authorities — at each the time of his arrest and in court docket information — didn't specify what duties Keegan carried out throughout his tenure with the Division of Homeland Safety.
Keegan is scheduled to return to court docket for sentencing on April 19.