CEO of Haliburton International Foods resigns after being charged with child prostitution
If convicted on all counts, Ian Charles Schenkel faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison as well as 728 days in county jail
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The 59-year-old CEO of a California-based food company has resigned after being accused of soliciting and engaging in sexual relations with two teenage girls.
Ian Charles Schenkel, of Newport Beach, stepped down from his role as chief executive of Haliburton International Foods on Friday. The company, which Schenkel founded in 1992, replaced him with Dan Glick, longtime management and financial adviser to the company, according to the firm's announcement.
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The company declined to comment beyond its official announcement regarding Glick's appointment.
Just a few days before Schenkel formally resigned, he was charged with engaging in prostitution with a 15-year-old girl and 16-year-old girl, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Haliburton International Foods (Google Street View)
Schenkel is charged with one felony count of unlawful sexual intercourse, one felony count of sexual penetration with a foreign object with a victim under the age of 16, one felony count of oral copulation of a person under the age of 16, one felony count of a lewd act on a child 14 or 15 years old, one felony count of unlawful sex with a minor at least three years younger than the defendant, one felony count of sexual penetration with a foreign object of a victim under the age of 18, and two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution of a minor, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
He was arrested and released after posting $100,000 bail. If convicted on all counts, Schenkel faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison as well as 728 days in county jail.
Amanda Emilia Perez, 22, was also charged with pimping and pandering for arranging to bring the underage girls to Schenkel, the DA's office said.
Prosecutors say Perez would take the underage girls to meet men, including Schenkel, who would pay her them to have sex, and Perez would take some of the money.
Perez was arrested and released after posting $70,000 bail. Perez faces a maximum sentence of 14 years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all charges.
Police began investigating the case in October 2019 after a man reported his teenage daughter had inappropriate sexual contact with Schenkel.
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“The exploitation of children for sex acts shocks the public conscience,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “It is reprehensible and it is unlawful. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and we will work to ensure the judicial system protects these vulnerable victims.”
According to the DA's office, Schenkel also has an open DUI case from November 2019 and an open case for hit-and-run driving on a suspended license from January of this year.
Newport Beach Police are also asking for the public’s help in identifying additional potential victims.