Palm Desert man pleads not guilty to charges of sexual assault of minor
A 65-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a minor pleaded not guilty today to several felony charges.
Oscar William Alvarez of Palm Desert was charged with one felony count each of engaging in oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child under 10, penetration by force, sodomy with a person under 18, and annoying a child after illegal entry of an inhabited building, according to court records. He additionally faces five felony counts of lewd acts with a child under 14 with force.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges Friday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Deputies from the Palm Desert sheriff's station responded April 3 to a report of a sexual assault of a minor, according to Sgt. Daniel Milbrandt of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
During the investigation, Alvarez was identified as the suspect, according to Milbrandt. Alvarez was found and arrested Wednesday in the 39000 block of Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage.
He was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he remains held on $1 million bail, according to inmate records.
No other information was immediately available, including the age of the alleged victim and relationship, if any, with Alvarez.
Anyone with information was asked to call Investigator Iniguez at 760-836-1600.
