SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A retired MMA fighter with local San Diego ties pleaded guilty on Monday to a sexual abuse charge in Oregon and must register as a sex offender.
Sean Loeffler, 42, was charged with felony sexual abuse and unlawful penetration for an incident on February 7th while he was out on parole.
The victim, according to a charging document, was a woman “incapable of consent by reason of mental incapacitation or physical helplessness.”
No details about the February incident have been released by the sheriff’s office in Lincoln County, Oregon.
But the four felony charges filed against Loeffler are being dropped after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual abuse and interception of communications offense, Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace confirmed in an email.
San Diego criminal past
Last year, a judge in San Diego County sentenced Loeffler to two years in prison after he pled guilty to domestic violence-related charges.
“I felt angry at the system for letting this happen. I felt angry for him being able to go to Oregon,” said Meagan Andrew, who was previously engaged to Loeffler.
Andrew, 37, told Team 10 she ended the relationship after just three months. She had criminal charges filed against him in 2023 after going to Oceanside Police.
She recounted one night that got violent.
“When he choked me and got on my chest with his knees and covered my mouth with his hands and then was hitting me and slapping me and basically threatening to kill me and wouldn't let me leave his house. So that night was, I thought I was gonna die.”
Loeffler pleaded guilty to three domestic violence-related charges last year as part of a plea deal.
Originally, San Diego prosecutors had filed 11 charges against him for incidents involving four women. The charges included forcible rape between December 26, 2017, and January 1, 2018, of a woman identified in court documents as ‘Jane Doe.’ That charge was dismissed in the plea agreement.
Liz Campbell, 38, was also engaged to Loeffler and said he was violent toward her.
“He picked me up, by my throat, and I knew in that moment that I had to like take my own weight off of my neck,” she said.
A complaint from the San Diego District Attorney in 2024 states three domestic violence-related charges were filed against Loeffler related to incidents involving Campbell.
One of these charges was for assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury related to an incident on May 30, 2023. That charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal last year.
Both Campbell and Andrew read victim impact statements in court last year and said they were upset when they found out Loeffler was being released on parole last November after getting pre-sentence credit for time served.
Restraining orders filed
“The victim impact statement was to let the judge know that this is not the first time and it's not gonna be the last time,” Andrew said.
Court records obtained by Team 10 show numerous women have filed domestic violence restraining orders against Loeffler over the years in San Diego County.
The former MMA fighter initially pleaded not guilty to the Oregon charges and maintained his innocence.
Attorney says client “was the real victim”
Defense attorney Mike Arnold, who is representing Loeffler, said the felonies his client was originally charged with had daunting minimum prison sentences of 12 years and six months to 16 years and eight months.
“Those were the minimum sentences he could have received if he went to trial and 12 jurors messed it up.”
Arnold said his client had been falsely accused and told Team 10 Loeffler was “the real victim.”
“If you are a man falsely accused of a crime you have to weigh the risk that the type of people that falsely accuse you could also be on your jury,” Arnold said.
Several inconsistent statements: Defense
No details surrounding the February incident have been released by authorities in Oregon. But the woman who accused Loeffler, made videos on Facebook that Arnold planned to use in court to defend his client.
“The accuser had several inconsistent statements,” Arnold alleged.
He told Team 10 he expects his client to be released on Wednesday after a judge formally sentences him.
California warrant issued
But Team 10 has learned the San Diego Superior Court issued a warrant and out of state detainer for Loeffler after his February arrest in Oregon.
In a statement, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said the Division of Adult Parole Operations was notified of Loeffler’s arrest and the San Diego County Superior Court issued a warrant.
“An out of state detainer and a return to California was submitted,” said CDCR spokeswoman Emily Humpal in an email to Team 10.
It wasn’t clear on Tuesday if the retired MMA fighter, who Oregon court records list as last residing in Oceanside, California, will be extradited to San Diego County.
DA Wallace told Team 10 she wasn’t aware of any parole hold from authorities in California as of Tuesday morning.
Loeffler was still being held in an Oregon jail Tuesday night as he waited to be taken to sentencing on Wednesday.
Andrew says she is glad the latest victim was able to tell her story and go to the police but expressed frustration at the courts for allowing her ex-fiancé to offend again.
“I'm disappointed in the system for failing again,” said Andrew.
Team 10 asked the San Diego County District Attorney’s office if the Oregon case could lead to another strike on Loeffler’s record.
The DA’s office said a conviction in Oregon could qualify as a new strike in California, but it would depend on what charge he pled guilty to or was convicted of.
