Therapist Who Admitted Sexually Abusing Riverside Girl Sentenced

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - A former behavioral therapist who sexually assaulted a young girl with physical and psychological disabilities was sentenced today to 17 years in state prison.

Mitchell Akira Takata, 23, of Los Altos, pleaded guilty in October to attempted sexual assault of a minor under 10 years old and lewd acts on a child. The admissions were made under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange, prosecutors dropped one count of attempted rape of a person with disabilities against Takata.   

During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Monday, Superior Court Judge Gail O'Rane certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.

The judge additionally ordered that Takata register as a convicted sex offender under Penal Code section 290 upon his release from prison. The law limits where a convict can work and mandates that he or she keep law enforcement informed about where they're living.

According to the Riverside Police Department, the Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit initiated an investigation in May 2024 after receiving reports Takata had sexually abused ``a severely handicapped and non-verbal girl'' during a therapy session in her own home.

Specific details regarding what happened at the residence, located in the city's Ramona neighborhood, were not provided. It was also unclear how the victim conveyed her experiences to family members, culminating in the investigation.

SACA detectives procured sufficient evidence on the same day of the assault to take the defendant into custody -- while he was on the job, police said.

There were initial concerns that other disabled youths might have been targeted by Takata, who had been a behavioral therapist for roughly three years, but no one else came forward after his arrest was announced.   

He had no documented prior felony convictions.