Novato child molestation defendant sentenced to prison

May 17—A defendant in a Novato child molestation case has been sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison.

Jahluv Dekharn, 42, of Oakland was charged after a lengthy investigation by the Novato Police Department. The allegations were reported to authorities in April 2018.

The accuser alleged that Dekharn sexually assaulted two children that he knew, according to Novato police Lt. Chris Jacob. The district attorney's office filed a complaint in 2019 charging Dekharn with six sex crimes against a 10-year-old child and one sex crime against a 12-year-old.

Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, and Oakland police took Dekharn into custody in July 2019, Jacob said.

Dekharn ultimately accepted a plea offer and admitted to one of the crimes. His defense attorney, Sunita Kapoor, said Dekharn decided to spare the children the ordeal of having to testify at a trial.

"He's accepted responsibility, and it's never easy to accept responsibility," she said.

The rest of the charges were dismissed, Kapoor said. She said Dekharn could have faced multiple life sentences if he were convicted of all the charges.

Dekharn was sentenced in Marin County Superior Court on May 10.

Dekharn has a prior conviction in 2009 for child abuse causing great bodily injury in San Joaquin County, according to the criminal complaint.

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