Two men involved in the public educational system in San Bernardino County were recently convicted of sexual crimes that targeted students.
Former San Bernardino City Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Perry Philip Wiseman on September 29 pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography after prosecutors consented to dismissing a parallel felony child pornography distribution charge that was lodged against him three years ago.
Wiseman, now 45, was the assistant superintendent for human resources when he was arrested at his Highland home on August 16, 2019, based upon evidence developed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that he had downloaded from the internet sexually explicit images of children. He was placed on administrative leave and later resigned his position with the district.
According to investigators, in his administrative role dealing with the hiring of district personnel, he did not have regular contact with students. Nor did the images found on his computer appear to depict students with the district. Wiseman was formerly charged on October 29, 2019 and entered a not guilty plea to those charges on January 8, 2020.
Except for a short incarceration, he remained free on the posting of a $100,000 bond. He was represented by attorney Eric A. Jones.
On July 13, 2020, his wife, Samantha Wiseman, filed for divorce.
He had several appearances before judges Harold T. Wilson, Jr., Raymond L. Haight III, R. Glenn Yabuno, William Jefferson Powell IV and J. David Mazurek. His plea and sentencing were handled by Judge Colin J. Bilash.
Bilash consented to dropping the Penal Code Section 311 (A) sending/selling obscene matter depicting a minor charge against Wiseman in exchange for his plea to the same offense cataloged as a misdemeanor.
He was given 24 months’ probation and three days in confinement, which was equal to the time he has already served.
As a further consequence of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
Wiseman’s sentence on the child pornography case was less than the one he was given following his misdemeanor plea on June 27 of this year on a charge of attempted auto theft, which had likewise been reduced from a felony, growing out of an incident that occurred on June 16. In that case, Wiseman was given a sentence of 24 days, against which he had 12 days of credit for time served, and one year of probation.
David Riden, 54, a former assistant coach at Los Osos High School, this week pleaded guilty to three felony and three misdemeanor counts relating to possession of child pornography and the use of a concealed camera he used to take photos of girls using the restroom at the high school campus in Rancho Cucamonga.
Riden was discovered in August 2021 to have installed a camera in the girl’s restroom, apparently by boring through the wall separating it from the adjoining facility used by boys at the high school. Riden was the boys’ locker-room attendant and an assistant coach for the varsity football team. He had worked at Los Osos High from 2015 until his 2021 resignation.
According to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, at least 21 girls were surreptitiously photographed by Riden from January 1, 2015 to August 23, 2021.
Riden was released on bail after his arrest but was rearrested and charged with possession of child pornography after search warrants were obtained for his electronic devices, and sexually explicit images of underage victims were discovered therein.
He was charged with 35 separate criminal counts, including using an instrument to view another in private, possession of child pornography, using an underage person for obscene matter and illegal use of a concealed camera.
Riden was represented by attorney Jeffery K. Rubenstein.
Upon his accepting guilt with regard to six of those charges, 29 were dismissed.
Multiple civil lawsuits have been filed naming Riden and the Chaffey Joint Union High School District over the matter.
Judge Michael Libutti is weighing whether to accept the sentence of nine years’ incarceration specified in the guilty plea.
Riden is now identified for life as a registered sex offender. His proposed sentence includes a restitution requirement, but it is not clear how he will be able to make good on that.