A 56-year-old registered sex offender pleaded no contest Monday to sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl taking driving lessons from him.
Tom Mantung Lam pleaded to one count each of sexual penetration of a minor, molesting a child and dissuading a witness or victim, according to a court spokeswoman. He was ordered to return July 31 for sentencing on the plea negotiated with prosecutors.
The victim went to authorities on March 12 to allege that she was sexually assaulted by Lam, who had been hired last June to give her six driving lessons, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The first four driving lessons were given without incident” and then Lam assaulted the teen during each of the last two sessions, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.
Investigators learned Lam was a registered sex offender and arrested him at his home in Montclair on March 15. He was released two days later after posting $140,000 bail. Then bail was increased to $500,000 on April 8 and Lam was remanded into custody, where he has remained until now.