A 50-year-old man arrested by Simi Valley Police for suspected felony lewd acts upon a child in 2023 has been accused of felony attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying, according to authorities.
On April 23, 2023, the man from Moorpark was arrested by the Simi Valley Police Department for suspected lewd acts upon a child and booked into Ventura County jail, according to a Ventura County Sheriff's Office news release.
In March 2025, detectives found information that the man was allegedly attempting to contact and dissuade a witness in the Simi incident, officials said.
By the end of June this year, investigators from both the Ventura County District Attorney's Office and sheriff's major crimes unit joined the investigation, the release
says. They found evidence showing the man was suspected of reaching out in an attempt to dissuade witnesses from testifying in the Simi case.
On Aug. 12, homes of the man's contacts at the 300 block of Aristotle Street in Simi Valley and the 14000 block of Avenida Colonia in Moorpark were served with search warrants, officials said. The man himself was contacted at Ventura County jail, where he remains, with a search warrant of his jail cell.
Evidence backing up the alleged offenses of dissuading and intimidating a witness were found during the searches.
The man was arrested for suspected felony dissuading a witness and witness intimidation by force, the release says.
The man has pleaded not guilty on Aug. 14 and has an early disposition conference scheduled at Ventura County Superior Court on Aug. 25, court records show.
Anyone with information on this incident can contact Detective Nathaniel Rushing at 805-384-4722.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark arrested for attempting to dissuade witness in Simi case
