Woman charged in Newport sex case

Deepa Bharath

A 31-year-old counselor at a children’s group home has been charged

with having sex with a 16-year-old boy in her care, officials said.

The Orange County district attorney’s office has charged Frankie

Alexandra Rivera of La Puente with seven felony counts of having

sexual intercourse with a minor and one count of oral copulation,

Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Schroeder said.

She said Rivera was an intake counselor at a Newport Beach group

home for abused and neglected children operated by Costa Mesa-based

South Coast Children’s Services.

“The boy was a client of the center,” Schroeder said. “That’s how

[Rivera] met him.”

The alleged sexual acts took place in Rivera’s home between Oct.

20 and March 15, she said. Rivera was not authorized to take the boy

to her home, Schroeder said.

“That’s how the connection was made,” she said.

Rivera pleaded not guilty to all charges on June 2. Police

arrested Rivera at her La Puente home on May 29. She was released on

June 3 after posting a $50,000 bail.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 25, and a preliminary

hearing is set for Aug. 12.

The victim’s father complained to police alleging inappropriate

behavior between Rivera and his son, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve

Shulman said. Police officers obtained a warrant to search Rivera’s

La Puente home, he said.

“They found evidence in her home that was consistent with the

information they had relating to her sexual relationship with the

minor,” Shulman said.

Schroeder said what makes the case stand out is that Rivera “was

in a position of trust.”

“The victim was very vulnerable,” she said.

Schroeder also pointed out that the district attorney’s office is

dealing with an almost identical case in Orange involving Trisha Lee

Watkins, a youth program counselor who allegedly engaged in sexual

acts with a boy she was counseling.