A Morgan Hill Christian book store owner who is accused of inappropriately contacting a female employee of his store pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the alleged May 16 incident.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's office charged Richard Dresser with five misdemeanors, including soliciting or engaging in lewd conduct in public and sexual battery. The charges resulted from accusations made by a 23-year-old former employee of Dresser's store, E-ternal Treasures.
Dresser pleaded not guilty to all five counts, and has vehemently denied the former employee's accusations since his arrest.
"I'm innocent and I'm going to be found innocent," said Dresser after he appeared in court Tuesday afternoon.
Shortly after his May 16 arrest Dresser, 55, said he consented to a police search of surveillance video footage and computers from his store at 433 Vineyard Town Center.
Supporting his case, Dresser said, is a statement from the alleged victim she made in a restraining order filed days after she initially reported the incident. He said that statement exonerates him from the crime the woman accused him of, but declined to discuss the details.
Dresser's next pre-trial hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 13 at the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill.
Dispatch Staff You can submit news items to City Editor Christopher Quirk by faxing them to 842-2206, mailing them to Gilroy Dispatch, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020, or e-mailing editor@garlic.com.
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