Two homeless registered sex offenders accused of engaging in sex acts with a 16-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a series of felonies.
Lawrence Cantrell, 34, and Michael Inman, 70, were arrested last week after an employee of homeless services provider People Assisting the Homeless – or PATH – told police that Cantrell had admitted to sex acts with a minor.
According to El Cajon police, Cantrell said that Inman brought the girl to Cantrell’s motel room in El Cajon.
Inman was later arrested and allegedly admitted that he and Cantrell engaged in sex acts with the minor, as well as at least two other underage girls in the prior week.
Cantrell also had a “sexually explicit” video on his phone of Inman with an underage girl, police said.
Police said that prior to the illicit activity, Cantrell repeatedly questioned the girl about her age “because he believed her to be a juvenile.”
Deputy District Attorney Clayton Carr said Inman initially claimed that he believed the girl was an adult, but later, he mistakenly admitted to police that he had proposed marriage but said, “I would have to wait until she’s 18 before we get married.”
Both men are registered sex offenders, with Inman having a criminal history of sex offenses dating back to 1978.
Inman faces up to 56 years to life in prison if convicted of felony counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, oral copulation of a minor, possession of child pornography and employment of a minor to perform prohibited acts.
Cantrell faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of oral copulation of a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, possession of child pornography and methamphetamine possession.
Both men were ordered held without bail following their Wednesday court appearance.
The arrests added to the ongoing debate in El Cajon regarding the county’s voucher program for the homeless.
The El Cajon City Council this week discussed the possibility of imposing a 90-day moratorium on new vouchers, along with a number of other proposals intended to address a reported uptick in crime at El Cajon’s motels.
According to the city, at least eight motels were occupied 50% or more “with formerly homeless individuals from outside of El Cajon who were relying on housing assistance through one of many programs.”
City officials also previously threatened hotels with fines if they did not reduce the number of homeless people residing at their establishments.
Those warning notices sent to local hotels were rescinded following a letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, which claimed that they “constitute unlawful discrimination” and could open the city up to litigation.
– City News Service