The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office has filed one misdemeanor charge of sexual battery against the former publisher of six community newspapers, including the Turlock Journal.
In the single charge, Paul Mahony, 54, is accused of fondling a 43-year-old woman.
Sexual battery is defined in the California Penal Code as: “Any person who touches an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained... and if the touching is against the will of the person touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse.”
A misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum punishment of one year in county jail.
San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau said a letter had been sent to Mahony, ordering him to appear before a judge on March 9. Himelblau said it was standard procedure to send a letter in misdemeanor cases.
The charges were filed at the Manteca branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Mahony took over as publisher of the Manteca Bulletin, the Turlock Journal, and four other community newspapers in 2006 and primarily worked out of the Manteca office.
He was terminated on Feb. 10 after allegations were made against him and an internal investigation was conducted. Subsequently, a complaint was reported to the Manteca Police Department, which conducted their own investigation and forwarded their findings to the district attorney’s office.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
In the single charge, Paul Mahony, 54, is accused of fondling a 43-year-old woman.
Sexual battery is defined in the California Penal Code as: “Any person who touches an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained... and if the touching is against the will of the person touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse.”
A misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum punishment of one year in county jail.
San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Robert Himelblau said a letter had been sent to Mahony, ordering him to appear before a judge on March 9. Himelblau said it was standard procedure to send a letter in misdemeanor cases.
The charges were filed at the Manteca branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Mahony took over as publisher of the Manteca Bulletin, the Turlock Journal, and four other community newspapers in 2006 and primarily worked out of the Manteca office.
He was terminated on Feb. 10 after allegations were made against him and an internal investigation was conducted. Subsequently, a complaint was reported to the Manteca Police Department, which conducted their own investigation and forwarded their findings to the district attorney’s office.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
