MURRIETA, Calif., May 5 (UPI) -- A veteran sheriff's deputy in southern California faces life in prison if he is convicted of sexually assaulting a child and possession of child pornography.
Wilbert Dale Garcia pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Monday in Riverside County, The Orange County Register reported. He allegedly raped a girl younger than 14 between October 2002 and June 2004.
Garcia had already posted $250,000 after his arrest in early April. He was jailed after the judge increased his bail to $1 million.
Prosecutors have released few details about the victim or the alleged assaults.
Garcia, now on paid administrative leave, has been with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for 19 years. A spokesman said the sheriff's department has launched its own investigation into the case.
