Crime & Safety

Malibu Artist Did Not Commit Alleged Sex Crimes, Friend Says

A friend of Paul Rusconi says the artist accused of molesting his twin daughters is "as innocent as these two adorable twin toddlers of his."

Allegations of molestation and child pornography possession against Malibu pop artist Paul Rusconi are false, wrote Beverly Hills Realtor Justin Alexander, a friend of Rusconi, in a Tuesday email to Malibu Patch.

Rusconi, a 45-year-old Malibu Park resident, . The alleged victims are his 20-month-old twin daughters. He was booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station and released Saturday night after posting $220,000 bail.

"I am not at liberty to say much here, but I can tell you that Paul is as innocent as these two adorable twin toddlers of his," Alexander wrote. 

Find out what's happening in Malibuwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He added, "This will all be cleared up very soon and I hope Patch supports rebuilding his local image once the legal system proves Paul's innocence."

Alexander wrote that the alleged child pornography photos are actually images of Rusconi's toddlers in a bathtub, "photos that many loving parents have of their children."

Find out what's happening in Malibuwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rusconi's attorney, Michael Chaney, told NBC Los Angeles news reporters Monday that the allegations against his client are "categorically false."

"The man is innocent," Chaney told NBC Los Angeles, according to the station. "There was no child pornography, no lewd act of any kind. I'm extremely confident the sheriff's department and district attorney's investigations will bear that out."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau is handling the investigation. A message left Monday with the investigator on this case was not returned.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.