A former Garden Grove police officer was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service early Thursday and charged with sexually assaulting a co-worker and kidnapping and sexually assaulting a police department employee, Orange County prosecutors said Friday.
Charles William Starnes II, 52, was charged with criminal sexual intercourse kidnapping, sexual penetration with a foreign object by force, sexual penetration with a foreign object by use of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance and assault with intent to commit a sexual crime, all felonies, stemming from incidents that occurred while he was employed by the department in 2007 and 2020, according to Orange County Superior Court records.
Starnes pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment on Friday. He remains in custody on $5 million bail. Starnes’ attorney, Brian Gurwitz, said in an email Friday night that his client denies the allegations and is “eager to present the truth in court.”
Prosecutors say Starnes sexually assaulted a co-worker at a Stanton bar in March 2007 as she exited the women’s restroom and dragged her out of the bar and into the parking lot. He allegedly continued the attack until he was stopped by two police officers, according to prosecutors.
In 2020, prosecutors said Starnes assaulted a female police employee in her car as they were leaving an “end of probation” party at a Long Beach bar and heading to a makeshift bar and lounge set up by the police association for officers.
If convicted of all charges, Starnes could face up to seven years to life in prison, plus 14 years in state prison.
The Garden Grove Police Department said in a statement Friday that the investigation is ongoing and it will continue to work with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
“The badge is not a shield from responsibility, and we are pleased that these acts of sexual violence are finally coming to light so that justice can be brought to these victims who suffer in silence,” Orange County Police said. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
Starnes, the former president of the Garden Grove Police Association, retired from the Garden Grove Police Department in May 2026 while on administrative leave.