Oakland: Man avoids jail after pleading no contest to sex offense against teen girl

The 35-year-old suspect wrote an apology letter in which he said it was a "very bad idea" and blamed his loneliness.

OAKLAND — A Bay Area man pleaded no contest to using a minor for a sexual offense but avoided jail time, in a case where he allegedly met a 14-year-old girl through an adult dating app without becoming aware of her age until later.

The case against 35-year-old Joseph Cheah started in 2021 when he was charged with child molestation, and ended last month when Cheah pleaded no contest to a single lesser offense and the balance of the charges were dismissed. Along the way, prosecutors revealed possible dishonesty issues involving two would be witnesses, and the defense poked holes in the case by arguing Cheah didn’t know the victim’s age when he allegedly fondled her during an in-person meetup.

According to court records, Cheah connected with a 14-year-old girl on a dating app, and touched her breasts and buttocks when they met in person after talking online. After the meet-up, the victim’s mother took her daughter’s phone and continued to chat with Cheah while impersonating her daughter, during which time the mother mentioned her daughter’s age and asked Cheah if he was OK with it, police said.

“Only if you legit like me,” Cheah allegedly replied, before delving into a graphic description of various sexual acts.

Later, after his arrest, Cheah said that during their meet-up the girl told Cheah she was 16, but he was thought she was just joking. He also penned an apology letter to the victim’s mom saying he was “deeply sorry” for talking to the girl.

“It was a very bad idea and I feel very ill and deeply regret what happened. I was lonely and went online to find a way to fill the void. I know now that I don’t ever want to end up in this situation again,” Cheah allegedly wrote. “It was never my intention to harm her once knowing how she was. Please accept my deepest apology for any pain I might have caused.”

Cheah was freed from custody in 2022, about six months after the charges were filed. Earlier this year, an Alameda County prosecutor filed court papers noting that the defense had been placed on notice of two police witnesses’ potential Brady issues — meaning things that could call the officers’ honesty into question. The officers were identified as Oakland police officers Marie Sanchez and Caleb Leichliter, but the prosecutor provided no more details.