New Acting Captain Appointed to Lost Hills/Malibu Station During Investigation

A L.A. County sheriff's lieutenant has taken the helm of the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff's Station in the wake of an investigation into allegations that a captain sexually harassed a subordinate.

According to reports, a female deputy alleges that Capt. Joseph Stephen Jr., who is assigned to the Lost Hills/Malibu Station, retired Chief Ronnie Williams and recently-retired Capt. Anthony Ward coerced her into sexual relationships.

Both Stephen and Williams have denied the allegations made by the deputy, who is the daughter of a top aide to Sheriff Lee Baca.

Stephen told The L.A. Times that the woman's allegations were "absolutely, unequivocally" untrue.

The female deputy is on leave, without pay, because of unrelated felony vandalism and misdemeanor battery charges.

The newspaper reported that Stephen decided to resign, but a sheriff's spokesman refuted that claim as false.

"That's one of his options. He has not decided what to do," Steve Whitmore, spokesman for sheriff Lee Baca told City News Service. "He is still a captain of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."

Lt. Matthew Squire confirmed Monday he was named as acting captain of the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff's Station on Jan. 10.

Squire came back to the Lost Hills/Malibu Station in November 2011. He had served as a deputy at the station from 1991 to 2000.

-City News Service contributed to this report.