LAPD officer gets year in jail and must register as sex offender for exposing himself to women

A Los Angeles police officer was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for attempting to commit lewd acts on a 12-year-old girl and exposing himself to five women in the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach, prosecutors said.

Ryan Eric Galliher, 35, of Huntington Beach must also register as a sex offender for life and perform five years’ formal probation, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

A jury found Galliher guilty in December of a felony count of attempted lewd act upon a child under 14 years old, a felony count of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a lewd act, six misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and a misdemeanor count of engaging in lewd conduct, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Galliher was arrested on Oct. 23, 2014, after detectives saw him “commit a lewd act” along a pathway near Bolsa Chica Street south of Los Patos Avenue, Huntington Beach Police Lt. Mitch O’Brien said at the time. Detectives were monitoring the area after they received about a half-dozen reports of a man exposing himself, O’Brien said.

As they watched over the area, Galliher walked out of the ecological preserve, pulled down his pants and began masturbating, prosecutors said.

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Prosecutors said his victims included women between 18 to 20 years old. The youngest victim was 12.

Galliher approached the girl on Feb. 27, 2014, in the wetlands, prosecutors said. He exposed himself and asked her to touch his penis, they said. Galliher approached the girl again the following month near Bolsa Chica Street and exposed himself to her, prosecutors said.

In at least two instances, Galliher stood naked near a path in the wetlands, wearing only tennis shoes and exposed himself to women, prosecutors said.

Galliher, who was employed by the Los Angeles Police Department, was off-duty at the time of the incidents. Hired by the department in 2011, Galliher had been working at LAPD’s Southwest Division until he was arrested. Galliher was assigned to his home pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

Police Chief Charlie Beck must make the final determination on the status of Galliher’s employment with the department.

Los Angeles Times staff writer Kate Mather contributed to this report.

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