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Man sentenced to a year in jail in Internet sex sting

Ryan Arnell Mount, 30, of North Hollywood, was sentenced Monday to one year in jail, five years probation, and sexual offender registration for attempting to meet and molest a fictitious 12-year-old girl he met on the Internet, said Susan Kang Schroeder, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

Mount is one of 13 men, ages 19 to 51, who were charged as a result of an undercover Internet sexual predator sting in Laguna Beach last February. He pleaded guilty to attempted lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 and misdemeanor possession of a methamphetamine pipe.

“We are disappointed that Mr. Mount will only serve one year in jail, as our office was advocating for a sentence of three years in state prison,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Fell of the Sexual Assault Unit, who prosecuted the case.

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The sting originated with a citizen group called Perverted-justice.com, which helped gather the Internet chats from 13 accused sexual predators. The suspects were charged with attempted lewd acts on a child under the age of 14.

Mount traveled to Laguna Beach at 1:30 a.m. with condoms and lubricant with the belief that the girl’s parents were out of town, Schroeder said. He was met by law enforcement officials in a Laguna Beach home, where he was arrested.

The operation was conducted in cooperation with the Laguna Beach Police Department, Orange County Probation and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Police and fire improvements funded by Homeland Security

The Laguna Beach Police Department will get $107,000 to make improvements — including upgrading the security camera system and modifying the front lobby — paid for by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

The Fire Department will get $40,000 for the purchase and installation of a connection between the dispatch centers for the city and the county.

The City Council unanimously accepted the grants on Oct. 17.

Time to change smoke alarm batteries and clocks

The Laguna Beach Fire Department is urging residents to adopt the habit of changing their smoke alarm batteries when they change clocks in October and April for Daylight Savings Time.

This Sunday at 2 a.m. — or on Saturday night — clocks will need to be set one hour back for the return to standard time. At this time, smoke alarm batteries should also be changed.

The National Fire Protection Assn. documented more than 3,000 home-fire deaths in the United States last year. While more than 90% of American homes have at least one smoke alarm, more than one-third of them do not work because of dead or missing batteries.

“The peak time for home-fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when most families are sleeping,” said Laguna Beach Fire Engineer/Paramedic Frank Buckner, who oversees the fire extinguisher and smoke alarm programs for the Fire Department. “Changing the batteries in your smoke alarm is a simple and effective way to reduce home fire deaths.”

“Children and older adults are most at risk, and a working smoke alarm can give them the extra seconds they need to get out safely,” Buckner said.

For additional information on Fire Safety or Disaster Preparedness, contact (949) 497-0700.

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