Alfredo Jaime Dempkey - Repeat Sex Offender - Threatened to torture dog unless owner had sex

A registered sex offender who found a teenager's stray dog in Hawthorne threatened to torture the pet unless she engaged in sex with him, police said Monday.

A registered sex offender who found a teenager's stray dog in Hawthorne threatened to torture the pet unless she engaged in sex with him, police said Monday.

Alfredo Jaime Dempkey, 27, of Lancaster was arrested Friday night when he was greeted in a restaurant parking lot by police officers and the girl's father instead of the girl, police said.

"I think someone like that is sick," the 17-year-old dog owner said in an interview Monday.

The girl was at work Friday evening when her dog, Pineapple, a 2-year-old cocker spaniel/toy poodle mix, wandered away from their home about 7p.m.

Her family members searched the neighborhood, but couldn't find the dog. Her brothers called her at work, saying they believed someone took Pineapple, she said.

"I wasn't really scared," the girl said. "Usually she hides under the bed. They just probably couldn't find her. When I received the call, I got worried."

Police said they believe Dempkey found the dog and obtained the girl's phone number from the collar.

Dempkey, calling himself "Anthony," called the girl and told her he found the dog at Lennox and Hawthorne boulevards. He said the dog was a nice breed and worth at least $70. He wanted cash.

"At first I was, `OK, someone's found my dog,"' the girl said. "But then when he asked for money and when he said if I didn't have money he wanted something else, I got scared. He asked for sex."

He also threatened to torture the dog if she didn't give in to his demands. He told her he would "make (the dog) suffer," she said.

"I started crying," she said. "He said, `If you don't want to do anything or if you don't want to give up money, I guess you don't want your dog."

The girl hung up. Dempkey immediately called back.

This time, she agreed to meet him. He would not give her his address. Instead, he told her to meet her at the El Pollo Loco restaurant at Hawthorne Boulevard and Imperial Highway.

She called her father.

"(Dempkey) was there with the dog, but the victim's father and police met the suspect," Hawthorne police Lt. Mike Ishii said. "He was arrested and the dog was returned to the owner."

The girl said her dog was unharmed and she was happy to get her back.

California's Megan's Law Web site lists Dempkey as a registered sex offender who served a prison term for forced oral copulation.

The site shows him to be in violation of registration requirements since May 26.

Dempkey was taken into custody on a suspected parole violation, but he possibly could face other charges, including extortion.

State Department of Corrections records show Dempkey was convicted in San Bernardino County on Aug. 5, 2003 of oral copulation by force or violence, and causing great bodily injury. He was sentenced to six years in prison.

Dempkey was released on parole on March 23, 2008, but was returned to prison on a parole violation on June 11, 2008. He was again released on parole on Feb. 4.

Police officers recognized Dempkey once they had him in custody.

Friday evening, before the alleged extortion attempt unfolded, Hawthorne officers were conducting an anti-prostitution "John sting" operation on Imperial Highway. Officers targeted "customers" looking to pick up prostitutes, Ishii said.

Ten men were arrested for allegedly soliciting acts of prostitution from undercover female officers posing as hookers.

Dempkey was loitering near the sting.

"It appeared he was trying to contact our undercover officer but the undercover officer at the time was speaking with a `customer' and there was another customer also waiting `in line,"' Ishii said.

Dempkey drove away.

"After he was arrested, we find out it's the same car we saw earlier that was loitering near our prostitution sting," Ishii said.

Police officers do not know if Dempkey had the girl's dog in his car at the time.

Ishii said Hawthorne police conducted the sting following an increase in loitering and prostitution along Imperial between Inglewood and Prairie avenues. Residents also complained about being harassed as they walked along the street.

"It's a concern of ours we want to address early and aggressively," Ishii said.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte