15-Year-Old Girl Who Filed Rape Allegation Was Sexually Assaulted By Detective Who Was Supposed To Investigate It

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detective was supposed to investigate a sexual assault against a teenager, but victimized the young survivor all over again instead.

Neil David Kimball, 46, of Agoura, California pleaded guilty to a lewd act with a child and unlawful sexual intercourse last week, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

Kimball was a detective with the Special Victims Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department when a 15-year-old girl reported being the victim of sexual assault in 2017.

"While investigating that case, Kimball befriended the victim and sexually assaulted her," the district attorney's office said.

A colleague who took over some of his criminal investigations learned about the allegation and looked into it, prompting a months-long investigation into Kimball's conduct.

Kimball was arrested in November 2018 for the incident. At that time, he was relieved of duty with pay, KTLA reports. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Friday that Kimball’s pay was suspended in March and that they are proceeding with firing him, the Los Angeles Times reports.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8.  He is expected to be sentenced to three years in prison in exchange for taking a plea deal. He will also likely have to register as a sex offender. Initially, he was charged with forcible rape of the teen victim.

Kimball was a 20-year police veteran but he had been eyed for sexual misconduct before. Back in 2009, just a few years before he joined the sex crimes unit, he was accused of sexual battery. However, he was never charged. In that case, he allegedly tried to grab a woman’s hand and make her touch his genitals, all while he was on duty, according to the Los Angeles Times.