Culver man in court today on molestation charges

A preliminary hearing is slated to be set on Jan. 28 at the Airport Courthouse in Westchester for a Culver City man charged with allegedly sexually molesting an autistic teenage girl last year.

Samuel Duran, 34, stands accused of raping 15 year-old Kimberly Greenberg  of Mar Vista several times  and holding her against her will for three weeks,  beginning in March. The teenager was reported missing by her family and was seen in Venice before Duran allegedly took her to his home.

Police detained and questioned several suspects before they arrested Duran.

Duran was arrested on April 14 by Los Angeles police officers. Prosecutors have filed a dozen charges against him, including three counts of rape, six counts of forced oral copulation and three counts of forced digital penetration. The defendant is also accused of tying and binding the teenager.

He has pled not guilty to all charges.

Police were able to rescue the teen after she made a call from Duran’s home to her mother’s cell phone that police were able to trace.

Duran is being held in downtown Los Angeles at the Twin Towers facility and is being held in lieu of $12 million bail.

The case is being tried by the Sex Crimes Division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.