A former San Mateo police officer accused of sexually assaulting five women had three charges dismissed and five reinstated and will face trial early next year, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Of the 22 charges originally filed against Noah Winchester, 33, 19 remain. The three charges that were dismissed are related to one of two Sacramento victims, and four charges remain in that case, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
The five counts that were reinstated with related to the San Mateo County victim who first notified police of the alleged crimes, Wagstaffe said.
Winchester, of Stockton, could face life behind bars if convicted of the 19 felonies alleging he sexually assaulted five women between July 2013 and October 2015, according to prosecutors. Winchester was employed by the San Mateo Police Department when he allegedly raped three female victims in San Mateo in 2015; and was employed by the Los Rios Community College Police Department when he reportedly abused two victims in Sacramento in 2013, according to prosecutors.
Several of the victims were also kidnapped and threatened, with some indicating they feared reporting the assaults as Winchester was a cop, according to prosecutors.
His defense attorney filed a motion to dismiss charges related to one of the victims, suggesting there isn’t enough evidence to prove she did not consent to the sex, according to prosecutors.
Winchester was scheduled to start jury trial Sept. 5, however, a new date of Feb. 5 was set with a Jan. 16 pretrial conference, according to prosecutors.
Winchester remains in custody on $3.1 million bail and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Shortly after the allegations came to light, Winchester was fired from the San Mateo Police Department.