It was recently reported that a 62-year-old executive director of a mental hospital in Northern California was recently arrested and booked into custody in Long Beach for allegedly molesting his foster child for more than a decade.

Claude Edward Foulk, director of the Napa State Hospital, was taken into custody at the hospital by Long Beach police following a five-month investigation that began in September when a former victim stepped forward. Foulk now stands accused of sexually molesting his foster son from 1992, when the boy was 10-years-old, to 2003.

Child molestation charges fall under California Penal Code Section 288, which makes it illegal in California for a person to willfully commit lewd acts upon the body of any child under 14 years of age with the intent to gratify sexual arousal. A conviction for child molestation is punishable as a felony and punishment can amount to a prison sentence of up to eight years. Since Foulk is charged with 35 felony counts of child molestation, he could be facing a total of 280 years in prison.

If you are facing charges of child molestation, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have over 30 years of experience successfully defending clients against allegations of child molestation. We will attentively develop and implement your defense strategy to help you through your case. Call us today at 888-280-6839 or visit us at www.wklaw.com. We will be there when you call.