SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A convicted felon accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with an underage girl — who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer involved in an online predator sting — must stand trial on multiple misdemeanor and felony offenses, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Laith Fathi Sikta, 44, of Sacramento was arrested in August following a month-long law enforcement operation that included Riverside County sheriff’s deputies from the Southwest Station in French Valley.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Superior Court Judge Johnnetta Anderson found sufficient evidence to bound Sikta over for trial on two counts each of distributing harmful material to a minor and identity theft, as well as one count each of contacting a minor with intent to perpetrate a sexual offense, arranging a meeting with a minor for illicit purposes, possession of child pornography, attempting to furnish marijuana to a child under 14 years old and possession of controlled substances.
Sikta is acting as his own attorney.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for March 4 and left the defendant’s bail set at $250,000. He’s being held at the Byrd Detention Center.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Joe Narciso, the investigation into Sikta’s online activity began toward the end of July when the internet predator sting was initiated.
“Sikta communicated his intent to have sex and arranged to meet for sex with someone whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but was actually an online undercover officer,” Narciso said.
He alleged that on Aug. 26, the defendant drove from his Sacramento residence to Murrieta “with the plan to pick up the minor in the middle of the night.”
He was instead confronted by deputies, who took him into custody without incident along Winchester Road.
“Cannabis was located in Sikta’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s spokesman said.
According to court records, the defendant has a prior conviction for robbery.
