RIVERSIDE, CA — A former behavioral therapist who sexually assaulted a young girl with physical and psychological disabilities pleaded guilty to lewd acts on a child and other offenses and is due for sentencing in December.
Mitchell Akira Takata, 22, of Los Altos admitted the molestation count, as well as attempted sodomy of a minor under 10 years old, under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors agreed to drop an attempted rape charge against Takata.
The plea deal was announced Friday, just as the defendant’s case was called for a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Superior Court Judge Juan Dominguez scheduled a sentencing hearing for Dec. 15 at the downtown courthouse, according to court minutes released Monday.
No prospective term of imprisonment was disclosed in the minutes.
Takata is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail. He had been free on bond, but was remanded into custody following his admissions Friday.
According to the Riverside Police Department, the Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit initiated an investigation in May 2024 after receiving reports that Takata had sexually abused “a severely handicapped and non-verbal girl” during a therapy session in her home.
Specific details regarding what happened at the residence, located in the city’s Ramona neighborhood, were not provided. It was also unclear how the victim conveyed her experiences to family members, culminating in the investigation.
SACA detectives procured sufficient evidence on the same day of the assault to take the defendant into custody — while he was on the job, police said.
There were initial concerns that other disabled youths might have been targeted by Takata, who had been a behavioral therapist for roughly three years, but no one else came forward after his arrest was announced.
