We noted in October that a 33-year-old Huntington Beach police officer was facing 17 felony counts of false imprisonment, threats, domestic
battery, aggravated assault, dissuading a witness by force or threat and
vandalism.
James Roberts III's alleged victims: his wife and girlfriend.
Prosecutors have now filed three new charges against Roberts, reports the Orange County Register: spousal rape by force, sodomy by force
and forcible rape. His wife and girlfriend remain the only victims.
Roberts has pleaded not guilty to all the counts against him, including the three new
ones that were added as a result of the Orange County District Attorney's Office investigation into the case. An April 28 preliminary hearing date has been set.
The cop was arrested Sept. 2 after allegedly pushing his wife to the ground in a bathroom, pushing a door into her and threatening to kill her. While married, Officer McDreamy also started a relationship with another woman who he is accused of forcibly restraining, grabbing and pulling to the ground.
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His now ex-wife and former girlfriend have filed separate claims against
Huntington Beach alleging the city, police chief and several officers
conspired to cover up the crimes Roberts is accused of committing. The
mistress claims several 9-1-1 calls and police reports were ignored.
The former Mrs. has also filed a lawsuit against the city that
details abuse including rape,
destruction of furniture and a family picture, and assault in front of
the couple's son, the Register reports.
The women are reportedly being represented by the same law firm in
their civil cases, Brown & Charbonneau.
At Roberts' side is John D. Barnett, the veteran defense
attorney who specializes in representing cops, including one caught on
the Rodney King beating video. Barnett was also the attorney for
gang rapist Kyle Nachreiner, who was convicted alongside Keith
Spann and Greg Haidl, son of former Orange County Assistant
Sheriff Don Haidl.
Roberts is able to pay his no-doubt stiff legal bills
thanks to the $7,300 in monthly salary he reportedly continues to receive from
Huntington Beach taxpayers while on paid administrative leave.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.