A California sheriff's deputy pleaded guilty Friday to charges he falsely imprisoned prostitutes in order to sexually touch and photograph them under the guise of official police business, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Orange County Deputy Richard Rodriguez, 44, would approach loitering prostitutes -- while on duty, in uniform and driving a marked patrol car -- and tell them he had to "run" them in his system to determine their identities, according to the district attorney's office.
Once in his patrol car, he would drive them to the back of buildings in Garden Grove, Calif., and either touch or photograph them in various sexual positions and poses, threatening to arrest and jail them if they didn't comply.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment by fraud or deceit and was sentenced to a year and four months in state prison.
It wasn't immediatley clear whether Rodriguez still works for the county.
FOXNews.com's Michelle Maskaly contributed to this report.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox