America's Best Dance Crew Judge Charged With Child Molestation

Entertainment December 18, 2009 AT 3:18PM
America's Best Dance Crew Judge Charged With Child Molestation Credit: David Livingston/Getty Images

Shane Sparks, a judge on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, has been arrested and charged with nine counts of child molestation.

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The star, who was also a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance, was taken into custody Friday morning on a felony warrant.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the L.A. County District Attorney's office, the alleged molestation -- with an underage girl -- began in 1994.

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The lewd acts include oral copulation and other acts "with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying the lust, passions, and sexual desires of the defendant, who was at least 10 years older than [the victim]."

He is currently being held on $590,000 bail.

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This isn't the first SYTYCD choreographer to be arrested. Earlier this year, Alex Da Silva was charged with rape.

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  • February 21, 2010 - 4:19pm Kaitlin

    oh my gosh so thats what happend!

  • December 23, 2009 - 1:03pm Midnightsunapache

    Juliet, Yes you are correct on representing "yourself in a blog", but you represented your agency as well with misleading facts and that is where you have the problem, so you should CHECK yourself and know your facts!! And you said in your first blog "a parent cannot press charges against a man/woman if their child is the age of consent" and you made no reference to "who can prosecute due to Age of Consent." and there is a vast difference between pressing charges and prosecuting, so check yourself again and know and state your facts correctly. And on your quote "a parent cannot press charges against a man/woman if their child is the age of consent" this may be true in your state, but every state has different laws on this, so what you stated is untrue and misleading to people and you should know this so you should again CHECK yourself and know your facts before misleading people. I will be more than happy to forward a copy of this blog to your management team and see their response and see your reaction to their actions if you would like? I was only trying to help you out but you’re on your own now. And if you want to shoot me an e-mail address of work or personal I will be more than happy to attach photo copies of my badge with my badge number and agency on it and my peace officer id card and even some photographs of me in uniform and I can include my district I worked in and any other details you deem necessary! So get your facts straight and know the laws for each and every state if you’re going to represent yourself and your agency as the almighty and all knowing entity, so you don't mislead the people! And you stand corrected and again check yourself. Have a great day and holiday!

  • December 22, 2009 - 6:37pm Juliet

    Midnightsunapache, first of all if you were a police officer then you would know that what i said was true about who can prosecute due to Age of Consent. We deal with these cases on a regular basis, so I do have my facts straight. and don't you dare say that posting in this blog is "grounds for dismissal" and that I should "check myself". Stating the law is not grounds for any disciplinary action and you being a so called police officer should know this. your statements are ridiculous and completely false, so apparently you need to check yourself!

  • December 21, 2009 - 1:34am stunned

    Thanks Logo! And I agree with the bail being set too low.

  • December 20, 2009 - 11:11pm melvin polatnick

    There is one type of criminal that should never be let out of prison. He is one of the degenerates that urinate on public streets. They make It impossible to breathe fresh air. These polluters should not be excused because there are enough mens rooms available to leave a piss. Urine sniffing robots should be placed in strategic locations. A quick response from police will lead to the arrest of those who have no concern for a clean environment.

  • December 20, 2009 - 7:17pm Midnightsunapache

    First of all read the story before you respond!! It says "According to the criminal complaint filed by the L.A. County District Attorney's office, the alleged molestation -- with an underage girl -- began in 1994." BEGAN!!!! I am a retired police officer who investigated 100's of these cases and there is a lot more to these investigations and you really need to know what your talking about before responding!! And Juliet you really need to check yourself and your facts before you start making statements, you are totally wrong on what you put out. And representing your agency and position in these type post are grounds for dismissal in most states so it would be very wise for you to check yourself!! And this has nothing to do with race!! I arrested men and women of all races and walks of life in these cases and you are not guilty for being charged and accused it's all up to a jury of your peers to be found guilt or not guilty.

  • December 20, 2009 - 5:26pm kansaskoala

    So this happened back in 94'? Not that molestation 16 years after the fact makes the crime any less shameful, but it's 2009 and hard for anyone to reasonably see Shane Sparks not as the man he is today (older and with a bit of noteriety) but as back then when he was a younster 16 years ago, and that's if and when he did this. Without the details of this case who knows what the truth really is. Reading between the lines it seems that Sparks and this person had a relationship too "WHICH STARTED IN 94' when the girl was underage." Hmmm? Fishy to me for someone to wait so long to fess up about this. Either way this is a good example of how the public rushes to judgement when we see someone charged without having a handle on what the whole situation is. Today being charged and accused is just like being found guilty; and yes, especially for black men! I'll wait for more details before I attend the public hanging session on this one, and that's because I verociously defend children!

  • December 20, 2009 - 3:49pm LOGO

    I totally agree with Stunned... It's time for the race card to go away. We are in 2010 almost for Christ sake! Blacks are the SAME as white people. That's the bottom line. Whether he is white or black he messed up a little girl's childhood and should suffer just like she had to. I think the bail is wayyy too light to be quite honest.

  • December 20, 2009 - 3:49pm LOGO

    I totally agree with Stunned... It's time for the race card to go away. We are in 2010 almost for Christ sake! Blacks are the SAME as white people. That's the bottom line. Whether he is white or black he messed up a little girl's childhood and should suffer just like she had to. I think the bail is wayyy too light to be quite honest.

  • December 20, 2009 - 1:40am stunned

    Seriously why does this have to be about race?? Who the hell cares if he's black or white? IF he did this to a child, (I'm holding my opinion until the whole store comes out) it really doesn't matter what race he is. I'm so sick of the black card being played! White people get arrested too when they do something wrong. IF SHANE HAD SEX WITH A MINOR, then he needs to pay, EVEN if he were white. Get over yourselves with the race issue. Can anyone say OJ??? Didn't he get off. So there u go. There's a point for u. Close ur eyes for a minute and picture Shane as a white guy. That should make u feel better.

  • December 20, 2009 - 1:39am Belinda

    My Gawd skum of the earth people like him who abuse and take a childs innocence away should never get bond, never get a second chance again to harm another child. Instead all pedophiles should be left to rot and die on an island far far away with no other human contact accept their own kind. They can beat, rape and kill one another there. Its just disgusting that the justice system gives the predators more rights then the actual victims

  • December 20, 2009 - 1:07am Laya

    Gross there should be no bail held mfor 10 years

  • December 19, 2009 - 11:38pm Fatima

    if hes ten years older than her than she must be in her 30's cuz hes 40 yrs old

  • December 19, 2009 - 10:45pm Aimee

    don't let him out all he is going to do touch more children. PEDOPHILE!

  • December 19, 2009 - 10:26pm Christina Marie Perez

    That is so sad I had so much respect for Shane sparks I watched him on America's best dance crew since it first started and on So you think you can dance It is so sad that if this is true that he would take advantage of a young girl that way. But, he is innocent until proven guilty.

  • December 19, 2009 - 9:24pm Anon

    Disgusting! i agree with "pretty chick" and anon(8:25) these issues have nothing to do with race, they have to do with a pedophile having sex with children! YOU are the one making it ABOUT RACE! You say that race is a issue and then you change your mind and say its not, the point is it has NOTHING to do with race, he is a CREEP.

  • December 19, 2009 - 8:25pm anon

    First of all I would like to say that I think that every issue that is discussed in the US has to turn into a race or gender issue - true equality will never exist until people stop placing blame on those who are different. Also, I know of a person - a male teacher - who, when he was in his early 30's had a consentual sexual relationship with a student and was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison. This man is white. I only mention this to disprove the idea that race is an influence on punishment in these cases. Regardless of race or gender it is the responsibility of the adult to abide by the law - whether the person looks older than they are or wants to persue a relationship. What's wrong is wrong and being an adult implies that you have the maturity level to make that decision.

  • December 19, 2009 - 7:27pm pretty chick

    Desperate pedophile.. The guy who thinks this is ok is probably 40, fat and ugly as sin. U can't have sex with children. All the facts have not been made public but they will and people who agree with this should never be allowed to have kids

  • December 19, 2009 - 1:37pm Juliet

    I work for the Department of Children and Families in Massachusetts and a parent cannot press charges against a man/woman if their child is the "age of consent", (which is 16 in MA) and chooses to have sex with someone who is over the age of 18. At the age of consent, the child is the only person who can press charges against someone they had sex with who is 18 or older. This is true in EVERY state, depending on the age of consent. Sory Kaylin, but you should get your facts straight.

  • December 19, 2009 - 7:31am mrcleanisin

    Age of consent is 12 in Mexico which is closer to CA than Canada which recently raised there's to 16. All states vary and in reality the age of consent is generally lower than advertised due to Romeo/Juliot laws that don't prosecute when partners are close in age, but this seems asss backwards because older partners are more likely to be able to support younger partners (children) than 16 year old Romeos. Statutory rape laws are not based on reality. They are based on religious myths.

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