Former San Leandro cop charged with sex with teen

Marco Becerra, 26, was charged with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor he met while working as an instructor for the San Leandro Police Department’s Explorer program. He has since resigned from the force. less Marco Becerra, 26, was charged with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor he met while working as an instructor for the San Leandro Police Department’s Explorer program. He has since ... more Photo: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Photo: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Image 1 of / 28 Caption Close Former San Leandro cop charged with sex with teen 1 / 28 Back to Gallery

A San Leandro police officer faces criminal charges after admitting to having sex with a 17-year-old girl he met while working as an instructor in his department’s Explorer program for young people interested in pursuing law enforcement careers, court records show.

Marco Becerra resigned in late October after he “confessed to being in a sexual relationship with the victim,” a city police sergeant wrote in a court declaration. On Nov. 8, Alameda County prosecutors charged Becerra, 26, with three felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, known as statutory rape.

“I am upset and disappointed by the unethical and criminal behavior of one of our officers,” Police Chief Jeff Tudor wrote in a statement to The Chronicle, which learned of Becerra’s arrest through a confidential source. “These actions are absolutely inconsistent with the ethical standards of the San Leandro Police Department and we will not tolerate this type of behavior.”

The department has suspended its Explorer program while it conducts an internal review, the chief said. The program is designed to give young people, ages 14 to 19, a head start in a career in law enforcement through training and community work.

Reached by phone Monday, Becerra — who was once a San Leandro Explorer himself — declined to comment on the charges, saying he needed to speak with his lawyer. The attorney, Michael Rains, said his client “came right out and admitted there had been a relationship” after he was confronted.

“This relationship in every sense was consensual,” Rains said. “There were strong emotional feelings by both parties, and despite that she was just shy of 18, the law says it was illegal.

“As a law enforcement officer he knows he’s not above the law,” Rains said. “He accepted responsibility. He wanted to do the right thing.”

The department was tipped off to the alleged crimes Oct. 13, officials said, thanks to a call from a worker with the Alameda County Social Services Agency, who learned about the relationship and was required to notify authorities under the state’s mandatory reporting laws.

Investigators then spoke to the victim, who is referred to in court papers as Jane Doe. She said she became friends with Becerra through the Explorer program and corresponded with him on the phone and through social media, police Sgt. Dan Leja wrote in a court declaration.

Leja, who heads the department’s special victims unit, said Becerra and the victim met “at a location in San Leandro” on at least three occasions — Sept. 11, Sept. 26 and Oct. 12 — and had sexual intercourse. In each case, officials said, the officer was off-duty.

Becerra, who had been with the department for three years and was a member of the SWAT team, was placed on administrative leave after the victim’s interview. He confessed to the relationship Oct. 20 and resigned five days later, police said.

Becerra has pleaded not guilty and is free on $25,000 bail. He is due back in court Jan. 10 for a pretrial hearing.

San Leandro police officials said they did not make the case public out of concern for the victim and her family.

“They had to deal with the investigation already,” Lt. Isaac Benabou, a department spokesman, said Monday. “We decided we weren’t going to expose them to any more pain by publicizing this story.”

Explorer programs are offered by a number of Bay Area police agencies. San Leandro’s city website says its initiative is “designed to prepare students to be active in the community, learn more about a law enforcement career, obtain valuable work experience, and take on more responsibility as a young adult.”

Those in the program attend weekly meetings, help out at city festivals and other events, and act as role players in SWAT and hostage negotiation drills.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky