Sexual Encounter With Murrieta Girl Thwarted, Sentencing Set: Prosecutors

MURRIETA, CA — A felon who tried to arrange a sexual encounter with an underage girl — actually an undercover law enforcement officer involved in an online predator sting — is slated to be sentenced on Wednesday to five years, four months in state prison.

Laith Fathi Sikta, 44, of Sacramento pleaded guilty last month to arranging a meeting with a minor for illicit purposes, possession of child pornography and two counts of identity theft under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors agreed to drop three related felony charges against Sikta.

Superior Court Judge John Monterosso is expected on Wednesday to certify the terms of the plea deal and impose the stipulated sentence during a hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

The defendant is being held at the Byrd Detention Center

According to sheriff's Sgt. Joe Narciso, the investigation into Sikta's online activity began toward the end of July 2024 when the internet predator sting was initiated.

"Sikta communicated his intent to have sex and arranged to meet for sex with someone whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but was actually an online undercover officer," Narciso said.

He said that last Aug. 26, the defendant drove from his Sacramento residence to Murrieta "with the plan to pick up the minor in the middle of the night."

He was instead confronted by patrol deputies, who took him into custody without incident along Winchester Road.

"Cannabis was located in Sikta's vehicle," the sheriff's spokesman said.

According to court records, the defendant has a prior conviction for robbery in another jurisdiction.