SANTA ANA (CNS) - A 48-year-old Oklahoma man who had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old runaway girl and traveled with her to Newport Beach pleaded guilty today and was immediately sentenced to 42 days in jail -time he has already served since his arrest.
Over the objections of prosecutors, Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson offered a plea deal to Christopher Michael Bartley that reduced felony counts of statutory rape and sexual penetration by a foreign object with an underage victim to misdemeanors, according to court records.
Bartley was also placed on one year of informal probation.
According to Newport Beach police in a motion to increase the defendant's bail, Bartley transported the 16-year-old girl across ``numerous state lines while traveling from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to California.''
Police said the victim ``believes she is pregnant'' and was reported missing out of Tulsa. Police in Oklahoma had issued three felony arrest warrants for harboring an endangered runaway child, false impersonation of a police officer and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Newport Beach police.
Bartley had a prior residence in Costa Mesa 10 years ago, but no other current ties to California, police said.
Police said they were concerned the victim would ``seek Bartley out if released from custody as she also has no ties to the community and has been groomed by Bartley for three years.''
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