San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez pressured a Christian law enforcement nonprofit to cut ties with a former deputy convicted of assaulting women on duty after the group hired him as a chaplain.

The Christian Law Enforcement Fellowship, known as CLEF, removed Ricky Fischer on Tuesday, Sept. 1, days after Voice of San Diego revealed that the convicted ex-deputy had been brought on to counsel officers in crisis. Fischer pleaded guilty in 2019 to four felony counts of assault and battery under color of authority, two misdemeanor counts of assault by an officer and one misdemeanor count of false imprisonment. The charges stemmed from allegations by 16 women.

The case hits close to home. Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe all rely on the San Diego County Sheriff's North Coastal Station for law enforcement services.

State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, who represents Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe in the state Senate, said she contacted Martinez, District Attorney Summer Stephan and fellow legislators after reading the investigation. All committed to push CLEF to separate from Fischer, according to Voice of San Diego.

Blakespear told Voice of San Diego that elevating a convicted predator to counsel officers was "so egregious." She said the article prompted a flurry of outreach to law enforcement and elected officials across the region.

Martinez told CLEF's leadership the decision was disgraceful, according to Voice of San Diego's follow-up report. Blakespear said Martinez ultimately forced the organization to act.

CLEF President Jerry Hara, a retired San Diego Police Department captain, released a written statement apologizing for what he called a flawed decision. The organization's board said it had completely separated Fischer from its ministry.

More than 20 women accused Fischer of abuses over a two-year span, including stalking, groping and forcing a domestic violence victim who had called the Sheriff's Office for help to perform oral sex on him. He was sentenced to 44 months in prison but served just over a year during two stints, after a judge wrongly counted time on house arrest as time served.

The Sheriff's Office terminated Fischer in February 2019. San Diego County taxpayers paid nearly $10 million to settle civil cases brought by his victims. The county also covered more than $1 million in attorneys' fees he accumulated.

Because his crimes were not technically classified as sex crimes, Fischer was not required to register as a sex offender after his release.

Attorney Dan Gilleon, who represented 23 of Fischer's victims during the criminal trial, told Voice of San Diego that many former clients contacted his office after the original story published. They called the chaplain arrangement ridiculous and expressed concern about Fischer being out of prison without a sex-offender registration requirement.

Gilleon told Voice of San Diego that his clients wanted Fischer unable to hurt anyone else. CLEF's decision, he said, "was potentially allowing a predator back in to … potentially harm again."

Fischer is not required to register as a sex offender, and no further action by the district attorney's office or state legislators has been announced.