May 24, 2010
L.A. officer gets probation in hotel worker assault
A Los Angeles police officer who had been accused in Travis County of attempting to sexually assault a motel worker in April 2009 pleaded guilty Wednesday to a reduced charge of assault, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to two years of probation.
With the plea, Silvio Sam Filipovich, 44, agreed to surrender his peace officer's license and not to reapply to be a law officer anywhere in the country while on probation.
Prosecutor Mark Pryor said the conviction would preclude Filipovich, a 22-year Los Angeles officer, from ever again working as a police officer.
According to an affidavit filed with his arrest, Filipovich checked into the Mountain Star Lodge Motel with his wife and 3-month-old child on April 3, 2009. The motel is on RM 620 just north of Texas 71 in western Travis County. Pryor said that Filipovich had purchased property in the area.
The affidavit said that shortly after they checked in, Filipovich returned to the front desk and asked the clerk for a crib. The woman told authorities that when she got to a storage closet, Filipovich pushed up behind her so that she could feel his penis and soon after put his hands under her shirt and underwear, the affidavit said.
The woman escaped after pushing Filipovich's hands away, the affidavit said.
In court, Filipovich admitted to causing injury to the woman by pushing her with his hand.
Pryor said the plea bargain was reached in part because "we did not want to traumatize the victim anymore."
"We definitely believe he was responsible for that (attempted sexual assault)," Pryor said. "We weren't convinced we were going to be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt."
Pryor said the "deal was reached in full consultation with the victim."
Both Filipovich, who has been free on bail since shortly after his arrest, and his lawyer, Matthew Dorsen, declined to comment as they exited state District Judge Mike Lynch's court. The original charge against Filipovich is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The Los Angeles Times reported after Filipovich's arrest last year that records show he has a history of misconduct allegations against him, including one incident while off duty in which he "exposed (his) penis in a public place."
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