A former San Diego police officer, once accused of rape, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Wednesday.
Daniel Dana was arrested and charged after his accuser claimed she was forced to have sex in a police patrol car at Presidio on May 11, 2011.
The woman in her 30s claimed she was raped and forced to “orally copulate” Dana while he was on-duty as a San Diego police officer.
Dana's attorney argued the alleged victim, who said she first met Dana while working as a prostitute, had developed a friendship with the former officer and that the sex acts were consensual.
After a preliminary hearing, a judge ruled the accuser was a credible witness and held Dana over for trial.
However in court Wednesday, the rape charges were dropped and Dana pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor lewd act.
It is NBCSanDiego's policy not to identify victims of alleged sex crimes.
Local
Before his arrest, Dana had been on the force for about five years, working out of western division in the Midway area.
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