Content note: This story includes references to sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.
A former Cal Poly development official pleaded no contest this week to a felony charge accusing him of committing a lewd act against his seven-year-old stepdaughter, a change that ends the prospect of a jury trial and limits further court testimony from the child. The resolution, entered in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, carries immediate legal consequences and long-term restrictions for the defendant.
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Richard Edward Ellison, who served as associate vice president for University Development at Cal Poly from 2014–2015 and later led Bike SLO, was charged by the San Luis Obispo County district attorney’s office in late August. He initially pleaded not guilty in October and prosecutors moved the case forward after a preliminary hearing in April found sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
At a recent court appearance, Ellison asked for a short continuance while weighing whether to plead guilty or insist on a jury trial. Two days later he entered a no-contest plea to a count under Penal Code 288(a) — the statute covering lewd or lascivious conduct with a child under 14 — before Judge Rita Federman.
Under California law, a no-contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes. Prosecutors said the child, now eight years old, will not be required to testify at sentencing, and the victim’s family has remained supported by a victim advocate and backed the agreement, according to District Attorney Dan Dow.
Dow described the alleged behavior as grooming designed to normalize sexual contact with a child. Prosecutors contend there is no evidence Ellison inappropriately touched the victim or harmed others; instead, they say he directed the child to touch him. Dow said the conduct had the potential to escalate if not interrupted.
- Key dates: Charged Aug. 27; initial not-guilty plea Oct. 27; preliminary hearing Apr. 2; no-contest plea entered this week; sentencing set for July 28.
- Potential penalties: Up to one year in county jail, three years of formal supervised probation, lifetime sex-offender registration under Megan’s Law.
- Felony classification: The offense is treated as a violent felony under California’s Three Strikes law; violating probation terms during the three-year period could expose the defendant to a state prison term of three, six or eight years.
- Court personnel: Prosecution led by DA Dan Dow with deputies Kristin Barnard and Hunter Starr; defense counsel previously represented Carrie Winters; sentencing will be before Judge Jesse Marina.
The plea spares the young victim from testifying at a public trial, a point the district attorney noted as a significant factor in reaching the agreement. Prosecutors emphasized the public-safety and rehabilitative dimensions of the resolution—probationary supervision and lifetime registration are intended to monitor and constrain future risk.
This development matters now because it moves the case from an adversarial trial phase into sentencing and supervision, determining how the justice system balances punishment, victim protection and public safety. It also highlights how no-contest pleas function in California — they resolve criminal charges without a formal admission of guilt but still result in sentencing and collateral consequences.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, when the judge will decide whether Ellison will serve six, nine or 12 months in the county jail, followed by the terms of probation and sex-offender registration required by law.
