A former Honolulu police officer struck a plea deal that will keep him out of prison after sexually assaulting a child multiple times, according to multiple media reports.
Teddy O. Van Lerberghe, 45, was charged in 2017 with seven counts of sexual assault of a 5-year-old between the years of 2004 and 2008. Four of the seven charges were Class A felonies, which carry a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, he agreed to a sentence of five years of probation with no jail time.
Van Lerberghe entered a plea of not guilty, which he changed to a plea of no contest after striking a deal with prosecutors in Honolulu. That deal included reducing his seven counts of sexual assault to four Class B felonies and three Class C felonies, punishable by up to 10 years and up to five years in prison, respectively.
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Van Lerberghe initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to no contest after reaching the deal with prosecutors that kept him out of a jail cell.
The ex-Honolulu officer, who was on the force for nine years before he was fired in 2016, is required to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life.
The Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney told news sources it would not provide comment until after sentencing.
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