Former Tehachapi official gets 10 years for sex crimes, then speaks from jail
BY RACHEL COOK Californian staff writer rcook@bakersfield.com
A former city councilman and county fire engineer sentenced to more than a decade in prison for sex crimes involving minors had cautionary words from jail Wednesday for others.
Steer clear of gay hook-up websites.
"Stay off those websites, they're nothing but trouble," Daniel Shane Reed said.
Reed, 42, was sentenced Wednesday to spend 10 years in prison for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, according to Kern County Superior Court records. He was granted 298 days credit for time served and good behavior. He was sentenced to additional four months for a separate case, Deputy District Attorney Melissa Allen said.
Reed was arrested at his Tehachapi home in July 2011. Bakersfield police alleged Reed took a 16-year-old boy to motels in Pismo Beach, Wasco and Bakersfield and performed sex acts with him at each location. A 17-year-old was mentioned in the original criminal complaint as well.
Reed resigned from his posts as a Tehachapi city councilman and a Kern County Fire engineer following his arrest. He was arrested again in December 2011 for engaging in sex acts with 13-year-old boy while he was out on bail.
Plea deals were reached in both cases. Reed pleaded no contest to contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and annoying or molesting children in the first case. Eight other charges were dismissed in that case.
In the second case, Reed pleaded no contest to one count of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14. Two additional counts of the same charge were dismissed in that case.
Despite his pleas, Reed did not admit to those crimes in an interview Wednesday night at Lerdo Maximum-Medium Facility.
"I'm guilty of prostitution, you know, and I've always admitted to that," he said.
Reed said he pleaded no contest in the cases "to end the drama" and because he did not believe he could get a fair trial in Kern County.
Reed said he was depressed with his job and his home life in December 2010 when he downloaded Grindr, a networking app for gay men. Reed said within five minutes of downloading the app, he was contacted by the 17-year-old from the first case. Reed ended up paying that teen and another boy for sex, he said. Reed said he questioned both teens about their age and they said they weren't minors. He said he paid one boy with money and an iPhone and bought the other one clothing.
Reed said he cut ties with the boys when he learned they were under 18, but later got a rental car for one of them.
Reed said he was hoping the victims would recant until the day he pleaded no contest in the second case.
Allen, who prosecuted Reed, said she felt his sentence was sufficient. His punishment should be strong enough to warn other offenders that they will be sentenced more severely if they commit new crimes while out on bail, she said.
"He was facing 16 years so he has been sentenced to more than half of the time that he was facing," Allen said.
A message left with Reed's attorney was not returned.
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