PALMDALE COUNCILMAN CHARGED WITH CHILD MOLESTATION.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick and Karen Maeshiro Staff Writers

PALMDALE - Prosecutors announced Wednesday they had filed 17 felony sex crime charges against Palmdale Councilman Kevin Carney, accusing him of molesting four girls as long ago as 1990.

Carney, 48, a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant and former high school trustee, was arrested four days before the Nov. 2 council election on suspicion of molesting a 14-year-old family friend, but prosecutors said it took until Wednesday to complete the necessary investigation and reviews.

``We wanted to make sure we put everything together and had a good solid case before we filed it,'' Los Angeles County District Attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said. ``We feel we do.''

Ten of the charges involve the 14-year-old to whom Carney has said he was a surrogate father, and six involve two young neighbor girls whose allegations against Carney were investigated nearly three years ago, but no charges were filed then.

The last charge involves a girl who said Carney molested her in September 1994, officials said.

Carney, who has been free on $100,000 bail, did not show for the Palmdale City Council meeting Wednesday night.

He will plead not guilty, said his attorney, Milton Grimes. Grimes said he had not seen the charges.

``It seems to me they are adding on counts and adding charges to make sure something sticks on the wall,'' Grimes said. ``When you throw doodoo on the wall, the more you throw, the more likely it is to stick.''

The 14-page complaint says Carney repeatedly sexually abused the 14- year-old starting when she was 6 years old, culminating Oct. 28 when he had sexual intercourse with her.

Sheriff's officials said the allegations were reported that night by the girl's mother and Carney was arrested by deputies the next morning when he arrived at the girl's home. His former attorney said the girl had called him and asked him to come there, saying there was an emergency.

Carney described himself as a surrogate father to the girl, whose father is in Guam. Carney said he has even escorted the girl to father-daughter dinners.

Carney was released on bail the day of his arrest and placed on paid leave from the sheriff's department, where he worked 23 years. After his Nov. 2 election, he held a City Hall press conference thanking his supporters, denying any wrongdoing and calling the allegations the work of political enemies.

If convicted of any of the felony charges, Carney faces a maximum sentence of two consecutive terms of 15 years to life in prison, Gibbons said.

He would also have to give up the council seat he took last month after four years on the Antelope Valley Union High School District board.

Besides the felony charges, Carney is accused of one misdemeanor count of possession of child pornography - photographs found in a briefcase, Gibbons said.

The allegations involving the two neighbor girls, then ages 7 and 8, were made in March 1997, shortly after Carney announced his candidacy for mayor.

At the time, officials said the girls accused him of touching them inappropriately. His attorney said they came to his house to look at a pond where he keeps water turtles.

Carney then was head of the Lancaster juvenile investigations unit that looks into sexual assaults of children. He was put on administrative leave.

Two months later, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced it was not filing charges, citing insufficient evidence. Carney's former attorney said the sergeant passed a lie detector test.

Carney lost the 1997 mayoral election and was not returned to his juvenile investigations post. Before his arrest in October, he had been assigned to the Lancaster Sheriff's Station.