A San Leandro police officer resigned last month amid allegations of sexual misconduct with a teenage Police Explorer, the department said in a statement.
Marco Becerra, a three-year employee, quit on Oct. 25 over accusations that he performed unlawful sexual acts with a 17-year-old girl while he was off-duty, according to police.
Becerra served as an adviser for the department’s Police Explorer program.
The Alameda County Social Services Agency brought the allegations to the police department's attention on Oct. 13, prompting a criminal and administrative investigation, police said.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office on Nov. 8 charged Becerra with three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
"I am upset and disappointed by the unethical and criminal behavior of one of our officers," police Chief Jeff Tudor said in a statement. "These actions are absolutely inconsistent with the ethical standards of the San Leandro Police Department, and we will not tolerate this type of behavior.
"We are deeply concerned for the victim and her family, and we respect their concerns for maintaining privacy in this matter."
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Becerra’s attorney, Michael Rains, said his client has taken responsibility for his actions. He cooperated with investigators and admitted to the relationship even though it was consensual.
Becerra was a superstar officer who simply didn’t use good judgement, Rains said.
"What he says is, 'I’m responsible for my crashing my career. I had the ability to say no ...'" Rains said.
Civil rights attorney John Burris said Becerra's behavior is unacceptable. Burris believes Becerra should serve time in jail.
"It’s not just losing your job," he said. "You should be locked up."
The Police Explorer program has been suspended pending an internal review, according to police.
