STUDIO WORKER JAILED IN FONDLING NICKELODEON AIDE WAS SEX OFFENDER.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer BURBANK - A registered sex offender sex offender n. generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex, including rape, molestation, sexual harassment and pornography production or distribution. who worked as a production assistant at Nickelodeon Studios has been arrested on suspicion of felony child molestation Child molestation is a crime involving a range of indecent or sexual activities between an adult and a child, usually under the age of 14. In psychiatric terms, these acts are sometimes known as pedophilia. after a 14-year-old boy said he was fondled at the studio, police said Friday. Ezell Channel, 36, of Tarzana was jailed with bail set at $500,000 pending his scheduled arraignment A criminal proceeding at which the defendant is officially called before a court of competent jurisdiction, informed of the offense charged in the complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document, and asked to enter a plea of guilty, not guilty, or as otherwise permitted Monday, officials said. ``This type of crime lends itself to recidivism recidivism: see criminology. , so we're seeking out any other potential victims or anyone who might have any information regarding this case or this individual,'' Burbank police Sgt. Jay Jette said. Nickelodeon officials said Channel had been freelancing for Nickelodeon for about six months. The company has a policy of checking the backgrounds of regular employees who work with children, but didn't check backgrounds of freelancers. Officials said the case has prompted them to change that policy. They declined further comment. Channel was arrested in the parking lot of the West Olive Avenue studio based on a tip from the boy's mother, who became suspicious and saw the suspect's name on the ``Megan's Law'' Web site, Jette said. The Internet database of convicted sex offenders says Channel previously was found guilty of performing lewd and lascivious lewd and lascivious adj., adv. references to conduct which includes people living together who are known not to be married, entertainment which aims at arousing the libido or primarily sexual sensation, open solicitation for prostitution, or indecent exposure of acts on a child under 14. ``Matters like this are very disturbing to law enforcement in general, especially when the protective devices put in place such as Megan's Law Megan's Laws are named for Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old girl from New Jersey who was sexually assaulted and murdered in 1994 by a neighbor who, unknown to the victim's family, had been previously convicted for Sex Offenses against children. and the Megan's Law Web site can help both citizens and employers to protect the children of our community,'' Jette said. |
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