Former San Diego Deputy & Navy Man Convicted on 16 Counts of Sexual Assault, Including Rape

A former San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy and retired Navy Reservist will be sentenced next month after being convicted on several rape and molestation charges related to years of sexual assault involving two minors.

Earle Daniel Yamamoto, 41, is currently being housed at the Vista Detention Center where he is being kept separate from the general population for safety reasons.

Yamamoto was convicted on Aug. 20 by a jury on 16 counts, including forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, forcible sexual penetration, intercourse with a minor and several others.

According to the District Attorney’s office, the sex crimes involved two children and happened between 2012 and 2019— up until a month before Yamamoto left the sheriff’s department.

Yamamoto spent three and a half years with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, from March 2016 to September 2019. He resigned four days before his arrest on Sept. 19.

The Chula Vista Police Department never announced the charges in 2019.

“Protecting and keeping our community safe is our utmost priority. We do not tolerate criminal, immoral, or unethical behavior by any of our employees and when it is discovered we act decisively to investigate it and/or cooperate with outside investigators," San Diego County Sheriff Lieutenant Amber Baggs said in a statement. “Sheriff's employees are not above the law. "Any employee discovered to be engaged in criminal conduct will be held accountable.  We expect our employees to come forward whenever they believe anyone on our department is violating policy or the law and we take all allegations seriously.”

Yamamoto is also a retired Navy Reserve intelligence officer. He enlisted in 1997 and spent more than a decade stationed in San Diego -- up until August 2019 – the month before he was arrested.

Yamamoto will be sentenced on Oct. 6 at the South County Courthouse in Chula Vista.

Yamamoto is the second deputy in the past four months to be convicted of sex crimes against children.

In June, Jaylen Devon Fleer, 28, a former SDSO correctional deputy, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for engaging in sex acts with underage girls and attempting to meet up with other teens for sex.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department also didn’t announce the officer’s arrest. They said it was in order to protect the investigation.

“Out of respect for Chula Vista Police Department's investigation and the District Attorney's prosecution we did not release the information.” Lt Baggs said. “This helps ensure information isn't released too early or in a manner that they do not approve, which could be damaging to their investigation. There is no policy or procedure related to this, it is to ensure the integrity of the investigation.”