March 19--Nearly a week after the high-profile arrests of Venice High School students on sex assault allegations, authorities acknowledged Wednesday that they are still trying to sort out exactly what happened and that no criminal charges have been filed against any of the students.
Los Angeles police have arrested 12 of the 14 boys authorities said they wanted in connection with the incidents, which dated back more than a year. Of those, 11 have been cited or booked and released; one was being held in juvenile hall. Prosecutors have declined to file criminal charges against one of the students.
Los Angeles Police Department officials said the alleged victims, two girls, have been interviewed at length, and that no additional victims have surfaced.
L.A. Unified School District officials are holding a meeting Wednesday evening at the Venice High campus to address parents' concerns about school safety and other issues.
Police said that some of the alleged sex crimes occurred on campus.
The investigation includes the behavior of the students but also photos and possibly videos, which were allegedly circulated on social media.
Authorities still are sorting out which students are most seriously implicated and how to handle a mix of behavior among minors that allegedly included consensual and forced sexual contact.
"Our office has 60 days from the date of the citation to file a case," said Greg Risling, a spokesman for the L.A. County district attorney's office.
No matter the age of the students, producing or distributing sexual conduct in a video or photograph online would violate child pornography laws, said attorney Dmitry Gorin, who prosecuted juvenile sex cases and now works in criminal defense.
And if there is evidence that an image or video also was used to coerce someone into sexual conduct, then prosectors could pursue rape charges as well, Gorin said.
Sources have confirmed that investigators are looking into allegations that the girls were pressured into sex by threats to their reputation. Police said there is evidence that several boys were present during some of the illegal acts.
The punishment for such crimes, however, varies greatly between adults and minors.
In juvenile cases, incarceration and other forms of punishment are much less likely than they are in adult court.
"The focus is really on rehabilitation and not punishment," Gorin said.
However, more serious crimes, such as rape, allow prosecutors the discretion to try minors as adults, Gorin said.
The boys range in age from 14 to 17.
Experts agreed that determining consent involving minors is complicated by law that states that no minor is able to give consent to a sexual act.
Often, prosecutors decline to pursue charges against minors who engage in sexual conduct when there is no coercion, duress or force -- or impairment from drugs or alcohol, said Leonard Levine, a defense attorney who specializes in sex-crime cases.
The students also face discipline from the school district, regardless of whether charges are filed.
"Each student is or will be going through a process with the disciplinary unit to determine whether or not a recommendation for expulsion will be sought," said Thomas Waldman, a spokesman for L.A. Unified.
The Board of Education has the final say on whether a student will be expelled. Even then, the district must make provisions for a student to continue with his or her education.
