Ihsan Youssif Iskandar, a 64-year-old man, was sentenced Friday to 50 years to life in prison following his conviction for sexually assaulting two young girls in Westminster. Iskandar, who met the victims through his girlfriend, was convicted on August 17 of five felony counts, specifically two counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor and three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14.
During the proceedings, Deputy District Attorney Tom Farnell advocated for the maximum term available to the court, requesting a sentence of 125 years to life in prison.
According to Farnell's trial brief, one of the victims was between 3 and 5 years old when she regularly visited her grandmother, who resided with Iskandar in Westminster. The prosecutor stated that the girl reported Iskandar would have her undress and then engage in specific acts, also exposing himself to her. The girl's family later moved away. As she grew older and entered high school, she began confiding in friends about the abuse, Farnell said. In March 2017, the girl informed her father, and they subsequently reported the incidents to police.
A few years after the first report, another grandchild came forward, stating she was also assaulted by Iskandar when she was 7 to 8 years old, Farnell recounted. The prosecutor said Iskandar would assault her under the guise of "playing doctor" and also exposed himself to her. Farnell further stated that the two victims later discussed their experiences with each other regarding the defendant. In January 2021, this second girl told her mother about the abuse, leading her mother to take her to the Westminster police department.
Representing Iskandar, attorney Kevin Song of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office argued against the allegations. Song contended that one of the girls fabricated her claims because she wished to prevent Iskandar from attending her graduation. According to Song, the girl considered Iskandar's appearance to be "embarrassing" and likened him to "the ultimate photo bomb" at such an event. Song also addressed the girl’s statements about experiencing "panic attacks" when Iskandar attended her school tennis matches, arguing these were solely due to embarrassment about being seen with him, rather than a reaction to abuse. Furthermore, Song challenged the reliability of the prosecution's case, stating, "The government is asking you to bank a verdict on the amazing memory of a 3-year-old."
The court delivered the 50-year to life sentence on Friday, concluding the case that involved severe allegations of abuse against young residents of Westminster.
