VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy facing accusations of groping women while on duty once again proclaimed his innocence after appearing in court Tuesday.
Deputy Richard Fischer, 32, faces numerous charges in two separate cases, including sexual battery, false imprisonment, forced oral copulation and assault by a public officer.
Fischer has been out of custody after posting $2 million bail following an arrest in August.
“I just want to go on the record and say I vigorously deny these allegations. They are false, and I really look forward to my day in court to fight for myself,” Fischer said after Tuesday’s preliminary hearing.
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Fischer’s attorney, Manny Medrano, added, “We continue to this very day to vigorously deny and dispute these charges. They are false, they are untrue. Our investigation of the alleged victims in this case continues. We are discovering credibility issues with the various victims in this case, which include reporting this to law enforcement many, many months after the allegation. Some of these alleged victims have had brushes with the law and, at the end of the day, we feel that the motivation for many of these alleged victims is to try to get a monetary reward because they have filed civil claims.”
The allegations against the deputy first surfaced in late 2017, and prosecutors said Fischer used his authority to gain access to vehicles, homes and hotel rooms.
In several criminal complaints, 13 women accused him of sexual misconduct while he was on duty.
Five new criminal charges were filed against him in August, leading to his second arrest.
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Several civil complaints have also been filed against Fischer, with the alleged victims claiming he assaulted them.
Fischer has publicly denied any wrongdoing, even speaking out against the charges with his wife by his side. He remains on unpaid administrative leave.
A preliminary hearing date was set for Oct. 1, with at least three of Fischer’s accusers expected to testify.
