People v. Pech CA4/3

FACTS

Pech worked as a tattoo artist. He did not require his clients to provide identification, so many of them were under the age of 18. Between 2017 and 2021, Pech sexually assaulted a number of young female clients while giving them tattoos. At the time, he was in his late 30s or early 40s and weighed about 250 pounds. Pech was charged with various sex crimes against multiple girls and women. For example, count 3 alleged that he committed sexual penetration of a child over the age of 14 years by duress, force, or fear. The victim in count 3 testified that when she was 16 years old, she contacted Pech through Instagram and arranged to have him give her a tattoo on her right thigh. She and a friend went to Pech’s apartment for the tattoo, and Pech had her lie down on a massage table with her right leg bent outward. The victim was wearing loose-fitting gym shorts at the time. About 30 minutes into the session, Pech tried to force the victim’s legs open. She tried to close her legs, but he forced them open again. Pech then inserted his fingers into her vagina and left them there for five to ten minutes while completing the tattoo with his other hand. The victim “froze,” “got…