A former drummer for the rock band Cake has been sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison for molesting a 3-year-old girl during a Thanksgiving 2009 party, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Tuesday.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Fred Wapner sentenced Peter Ivan McNeal, 48, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life.

In March 2013, jurors found McNeal guilty of one count of oral copulation of a child 10 years old or younger. An earlier trial over the offense ended in a hung jury.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Elena Abramson said McNeal molested the girl at a Laurel Canyon home during a Thanksgiving party, where he was a guest.


The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

At McNeal’s sentencing, family members spoke on his behalf, proclaiming his innocence. McNeal’s attorney, Fay Arfa, has filed an appeal.

The Sacramento-area band rose to fame with its 1998 hit “Never There.” McNeal joined the band in 2001, replacing drummer Todd Roper.

He remained in the band for four years.


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