A Los Angeles Police Department officer was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a girl in Torrance.
Kenneth Collard, 51, was booked by Torrance Police Department detectives and was charged with three counts of lewd acts upon a child and one count of sexual penetration by a foreign object, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
"On April 4, Collard was staying at a friend's house in Torrance. During the middle of the night he allegedly entered the victim's bedroom and is accused of sexually assaulting her. The incident was reported to law enforcement," the DA's office statement said.
Collard has worked at the LAPD's West LA Station since at least 2009, according to LAPD records. Collard was "assigned to home" as soon as the LAPD was notified he was the suspect in a child sexual assault investigation, the LAPD said.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents the officers, released a statement Tuesday evening, saying, "We are sickened by the repugnant allegations made against this officer, and if they are true he should be prosecuted as forcefully as possible.
"As police officers, we are sworn to protect the innocent, not to exploit them. There is absolutely no room in law enforcement or society for anyone who commits such acts, especially on a child."
