In re O.E. CA4/2

California Court of Appeal·Decided September 16, 2024·No. E082366·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 9/16/24 In re O.E. CA4/2

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT DIVISION TWO

In re O.E., a Person Coming Under the Juvenile Court Law.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES, E082366

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super.Ct.No. DPIN2300039)

v. OPINION C.E., Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from the Superior Court of Riverside County. Elizabeth Tucker, Temporary Judge. (Pursuant to Cal. Const., art. VI, § 21.) Affirmed and remanded with directions.

Liana Serobian, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

Minh C. Tran, County Counsel, Teresa K.B. Beecham and Julie Jarvi, Deputy County Counsel, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Defendant and appellant C.E., father of O.E., appeals from the juvenile court’s disposition order adjudging O.E. a dependent of the court and removing her from his custody. (Welf. & Inst. Code, § 300, subds. (b)(1), (d).1) He challenges the jurisdictional findings and dispositional order removing her from his custody. He further contends the exit order invalidly conditions modification of custody and visitation upon his completion of a parenting class and individual counseling. We affirm, but remand with directions.

I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND AND FACTS Father and E.K. (mother) are the parents of O.E. (born in 2016). They are divorced and do not have a good co-parent relationship. O.E. lives with mother and spends three weekends each month with father.

On February 1, 2023, the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) received a referral with allegations of general neglect and sexual abuse. Father was living with his girlfriend and her son, N.R. N.R. accused father of sexual (touching) and physical abuse. He claimed that father threatened to tie him up if he moved while father was touching his penis. There were concerns that N.R. was coached because he changed his story during the forensic interview. O.E. told mother that she and father bathed together and both were nude. Mother reported O.E. urinates in bed after visiting father, and father refused to allow mother to schedule any therapy (via Barbara Sinatra Center) or doctor appointments for O.E. At her forensic interview on February 15, 2023, O.E. disclosed that when she was in the shower, father touched her vaginal and anal areas by using his

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Welfare and Institutions Code.

hands and moving them forward and backward; he did not use soap or wash any other part of her body.

The social worker met with father on February 21, 2023. He acknowledged a prior domestic violence charge, but stated he was acquitted of it. Father denied abusing N.R. or touching O.E. inappropriately. He stated O.E. did not require help with changing or showering; however, he “helped [her] clean her private areas when she has soiled herself.” He admitted to sitting on the toilet and talking to her while she showered. The social worker advised him to refrain from washing her private areas and to allow her to clean and wash herself. Father agreed to accept the advice. He also agreed to allowing mother to enroll O.E. at the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, which is “dedicated to ensuring every child’s right to a normal, healthy and secure childhood.” (<https://barbarasinatrachildrenscenter.org> [as of Sept. 4, 2024].)

On March 1, 2023, dependency proceedings were initiated pursuant to section 300, subdivisions (b)(1) (failure to protect) and (d) (sexual abuse). DPSS alleged that physical abuse allegations against father involving another child were substantiated and O.E. disclosed father touched her vaginal and anal area while washing her.2 The juvenile

2 Specifically, DPSS alleged, “During a forensic interview on February 15, 2023, the child, who is able to bathe without assistance, reported her father touched her vaginal and anal area while washing her and did not wash any other part of her body. Furthermore, the mother reported that the child has frequent bedwetting accidents. Additionally, the mother disclosed the father was part of a recent San Bernardino County child welfare investigation alleging physical and sexual abuse to another minor, who was removed from the home. The physical abuse allegations against the father were subsequently substantiated. Such actions place the child at risk of suffering serious physical harm.”

court found a prima facie showing that O.E. came within section 300, subdivisions (b) and (d), but ordered her to remain in parents’ custody. An amended petition was filed on April 20, 2023.

According to the jurisdiction/disposition report filed April 21, 2023, DPSS recommended O.E. be declared a dependent of the court, that she be removed from father’s care but remain in mother’s care, both parents receive services, and father’s visitation be supervised. The family’s prior child welfare history includes substantiated claims of general neglect and physical abuse against father. On November 13, 2017, father forcefully took O.E. from mother and was arrested for domestic violence, child endangerment and felony threats, and on November 7, 2022, father physically abused his girlfriend’s son.

The social worker interviewed O.E. on April 17, 2023. She denied anyone touching her private parts outside of the shower and stated father had stopped touching her. Mother was also interviewed; she was not surprised that father was accused of sexually touching and beating another child because he has a history of saying “weird things” like telling O.E. that she “used to be inside of him and how he put himself inside of [mother] to make [her].” When the mother asked father why he told this to O.E., he replied, “[W]ell, there is nothing better to do.”

On April 19, 2023, the social worker discovered the open case involving N.R. in San Bernardino County. According to court documents, N.R. reported ongoing, daily physical and sexual abuse by father. He claimed that father would punch him, yank his penis, use a rope to tie him down, and withhold food and mock him for not eating as

forms of discipline. Later, during a forensic interview, N.R. recanted the statements and claimed his biological father had asked him to lie. Because of father’s aggressive physical discipline and inappropriate touching, the child was removed from his mother’s care.

The juvenile court found a prima facie showing to detain and remove O.E. from father only and suspended father’s visitation pending the contested jurisdictional hearing.

According to the addendum reports filed May 26 and August 3, 2023, DPSS recommended O.E. be declared a dependent of the court, physical custody remain solely with mother, and the juvenile court deny physical custody, reunification services, and visitation for father. On May 15, the social worker spoke with O.E., who was doing well. She had not visited father, who she referred to as “Joshua Tree Dad,” in a while and “was indifferent as to visitation” with him. The social worker emailed father and asked for updated contact information; however, she received no response. On July 31, 2023, the social worker spoke with mother who reported having concerns regarding O.E.’s recent behavior. O.E. had told mother about “visions” she was having that involved her lying down on father’s bed when he suddenly would begin to stab her. The social worker was unable to speak with father who “redirected [her] to his attorney to set up a time with the attorney.” The social worker requested an integrated referral for counseling services on behalf of O.E.

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