Police Youth Group Volunteer Pleads Not Guilty To Molestation

SANTA MONICA, CA – A former Santa Monica police youth group volunteer and city employee who's accused of molesting four boys beginning as far back as 1986 pleaded not guilty Monday to a half-dozen felony charges.

Eric Uller, 50, is facing three of lewd acts on a child, two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 and one count of continuous sexual abuse, and more charges could be forthcoming. Sheriff's investigators have said at least another six people have come forward since Uller's arrest to allege that he sexually assaulted them while working as a Santa Monica Police Activities League volunteer.

Bail was set at $750,000 and Uller was ordered back to court on Nov. 15, when a date is expected to be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Prosecutors said the four boys were between the ages of 12 and 16 at the time the alleged crimes were committed – between 1986 and 1995.

At a news conference last month urging victims to come forward, sheriff's Sgt. Todd Deeds alleged that Uller targeted young boys.

"We believe he befriended them, groomed them and then he sexually assaulted them," Deeds said.

Uller, who works for the city of Santa Monica as a systems analyst, came under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau in June, when detectives received information from the Santa Monica Police Department, which received an anonymous tip about the alleged lewd acts.

Uller has been placed on administrative leave from his job with the city.

If convicted as charged, he faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 23 years in prison.

Sheriff's officials asked anyone with information about Uller or additional alleged victims to call the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau at (877) 710-5273. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or lacrimestoppers.org.

Related Coverage >>

• 6 More Accuse Police Youth Group Volunteer Of Sexual Abuse
• Police Youth Group Volunteer Charged With Molesting Boys

City News Service contributed to this post; Image via Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department