A jury reached a verdict Thursday in a case involving a former U.S. Border Patrol agent accused of giving his daughter’s teenage friend cocaine and committing sex acts on the minor.
After two days of deliberations, a jury in a San Diego courtroom found Daniel Alfredo Spear guilty on three counts: digital penetration of a minor; oral copulation of a minor; employment of a minor to perform prohibited acts.
Six months ago, at a pretrial hearing, Spear’s victim took the stand as the prosecution’s key witness.
The teen testified that Spear – her friend’s father – brought cocaine, money, lingerie and a camera to the Dana Inn hotel on Mission Bay last October. After giving the 17-year-old the drugs, Spear allegedly took photos of the minor while performing sex acts on her.
The teen also testified that Spear touched her inappropriately when she spent the night at his house during the Fourth of July.
San Diego Police Department (SDPD) detectives found more than 10 photos of the teenager on Spear’s phone. Several of those pictures showed the teen posing in lingerie.
In the March 2016 pretrial, Spear’s attorney said Spear and his wife had given money to the teenager to pay for food and rent, as the teen was allegedly having problems with her mother. The attorney also questioned the minor about her medical condition, fibromyalgia, which she acknowledged affects her memory.
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Ultimately, a judge ruled there was enough evidence for Spear to stand trial. During the course of the investigation, the U.S. Border Patrol placed Spear on paid administrative leave, and also launched an internal investigation.
The San Diego County District Attorney's office said Thursday that Spear faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.
