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Los Osos man avoids prison time for rape of disabled teen

May 14, 2015
Steve James Linzmeier

Steve James Linzmeier

A Los Osos man has taken a plea deal that will allow him to spend just one year in jail for sexually penetrating a developmentally disabled 16-year-old girl. [Tribune]

Steve Linzmeier, 57, pleaded no contest Tuesday to child molestation, sexual intercourse with a person under 18 and sexual penetration with a victim under 18. He initially faced three counts of rape, as well as charges of sexual battery and sexual penetration with a foreign object by force.

Linzmeier will serve five years of felony probation, in addition to the year in jail. He must also register as a sex offender.

On March 27, the 16-year-old spent the night at the house of a friend, who is Linzmeier’s son. When others went to bed, the teen retired on the couch in the living room, and Linzmeier kept watching television on another sofa in the room.

In an interview with a detective, the victim said Linzmeier, wearing only boxer shorts, forced himself on top of her about 15 minutes after everyone went to sleep. Then he sexually assaulted her for about 20 minutes, she said.

Linzmeier told detectives that he had previously gone skinny-dipping with the girl and hugged her in a hot tub on multiple occasions. When deputies arrived at his home, he told them that he was a child molester.

But, the Los Osos man told detectives he never completed sexual intercourse. He said he rolled around on the couch with the girl and admitted to several other graphic and illegal acts, according to a sheriff’s report.

Linzmeier changed his plea prior to a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday. He is due for formal sentencing on June 9.


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Ummm, you folks ripping the DA…you do know that suspect confessions don’t hold much water in court if there is no supporting evidence, don’t you? If there was no supporting evidence other than victim statements, he likely would have been exonerated completely with a decent defense attorney if it had gone to trial…probably even avoiding felony probation. You might want to look at what the reasoning was behind this plea before crucifying the DA. Also, even with supporting evidence, maybe the victim having to go through a trial would have traumatized her too much? Ever think that HER best interest was in play here? I guarantee you the victim and her family were consulted before this plea deal was made.


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“When deputies arrived at his home, he told them that he was a child molester.” “He said he rolled around on the couch with the girl and admitted to several other graphic and illegal acts, according to a sheriff’s report.” – Confessions are admissible evidence.


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Good God!!! You mean he could have got maybe no time or maybe three months if they risked in court instead of just giving him the whole year they did, that in the end will still be six months most likely?? Yea right, they had a lot to lose in trying to go to trial. Give me a break.


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That argument might be plausible except for the fact that he confessed to deputies called to the scene. Unless they really messed up on reading him his rights, that should be enough for a conviction under the circumstances.


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There are always apologists for the DA giving a Child Rapist only a Year in Prison….it’s how sick our society has become.


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Put him in Gen Pop at the jail and have the guards go on a lunch break!!!


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Sure hope this isn’t a sign of things to come with respect to our Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, Lenny Jones.


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Mr. Dow, you are as much a disgrace as is Mr. Linzmeier for accepting a plea bargain. You have essentially turned a blind eye to a crime(s) foisted upon a developmentally disabled woman. Essentially, you are just as guilty as the perpetrator.


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Once again women are let down by the court system. If this has been done to a male child he would have gotten more time IMHO.


This just sickens me, one year for raping a disabled person.


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Dare I say a true “war on Women”…..


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An absolute abomination and a slap in the face to women, the disabled, and children.


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Wow. The citizens of San Luis Obispo county need to remember this case the next time that the DA is up for re-election. He failed us here.


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No one will and the DA will run unopposed like they always do, they know it, which is why they don’t give a Rats Ass what the people in the community think as long as they can thin the Prison/jail population along with their workload.


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I hope what he is trying to dodge in prison finds him in jail. What’s good for the goose is good for Steve.


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Well well well….is anyone surprised that Dan Dow is soft on Sex Crimes!!!

How many times has he pleaded away sexual assault crimes now in his short stent as the DA?

Folks…this is what you get with people of his mindset….not law, order, Punishment, but soft on RAPE….for Gods Sake…is this what the Voters thought they were getting in Dan Dow?

I saw it coming and sha-zam….hate to be proven right on this one, but there you have it…Liberalism at it’s best.


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