UPDATE: Charles Berlinghoff, accused of kidnapping his 16 yr old niece Jeanne Berlinghoff, found hanging in his cell

Facing charges that he kept his Redding niece away from her parents for 31 days, Charles David Berlinghoff told a Shasta County judge Friday that he planned to turn to his family for help in paying for an attorney.

“I want to see if I can hire an attorney,” said Berlinghoff, 44, of Los Angeles.

Berlinghoff made his first court appearance Friday afternoon, where he was arraigned in Shasta County Superior Court but didn’t enter a plea.

Berlinghoff came into court facing charges of child stealing and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. But at his arraignment Judge Wilson Curle added 10 charges of providing lewd material to a minor and 10 charges of arranging a meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose — all of which allegedly occurred between Nov. 1 to Nov. 10, according to court records.

Berlinghoff returned to the Shasta County jail after the hearing, where he’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

He is accused of leaving Redding with his 15-year-old niece on Nov. 10, prompting a monthlong search for the girl that resulted in national television appearances by her parents. Berlinghoff and the girl were spotted Saturday by the teen’s cousin in San Francisco’s Mission District, and Berlinghoff was arrested by San Francisco police.

While the teen’s name was publicized during her disappearance, the Record Searchlight is withholding her name now after learning the nature of the charges against her uncle. The newspaper does not name victims of alleged sex crimes.

Berlinghoff is due to return to court Wednesday for further arraignment. None of his family members attended Friday’s hearing and the teen’s parents couldn’t be reached for comment.

Court records released after the hearing show that family and friends told investigators that Charles Berlinghoff and the teen were in an “inappropriate” relationship for an uncle and niece. Berlinghoff was near the end of an approximately weeklong visit to the teen’s home when he and the teen stayed out until 2 a.m., the records show, prompting the teen’s father, Jacob Berlinghoff, to ground her.

When Jacob Berlinghoff told her she was grounded and asked for her cell phone, she started frantically deleting text messages, Deputy Nate Benton of the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office wrote in his report. Jacob Berlinghoff grabbed the phone and found texts there that indicated the girl might be in a relationship with her uncle, Benton reported.

Benton wrote that the texts included: “I’m going to miss you to (sic) so bad, it’s hard to leave I don’t ever want to,” and “Good morning baby I love you I can’t wait to hold you again XOXO.”

After reading the texts, Jacob Berlinghoff confronted his brother saying his relationship with his niece had to end, Benton wrote. Charles Berlinghoff responded by angrily throwing items around the house, the report said.

After the two disappeared, Jacob Berlinghoff told the Record Searchlight that he wanted to hit his brother so he went to his room to cool off. When he returned later Charles Berlinghoff and the teen were gone — although neither appeared to have taken any extra clothes or luggage.

After hours of checking with friends and family, and calling Redding’s hospitals, Jacob Berlinghoff called 911 to report his daughter missing with her uncle.

During their investigation in the more than a month that Charles Berlinghoff and the teen were missing, deputies and detectives talked to one of her friends who said the teen was in a relationship with an older man named “Charlie” who lived in Los Angeles. His roommate in Los Angeles told detectives that Charles Berlinghoff had said he was dating an 18-year-old in Redding.

After talking to the teen’s family members and friends, Shasta County sheriff’s Detective Steven Curtiss concluded that Charles Berlinghoff had “maliciously taken, enticed away, kept, withheld, and/or concealed” the teen from her parents. The report, filed Nov. 16, resulted in a judge issuing a $100,000 warrant for Charles Berlinghoff’s arrest. A judge added a second $100,000 warrant for undisclosed crimes on Dec. 6.

Just after Friday’s arraignment, investigators called a news conference at the sheriff’s office.

During the news conference, Sgt. Jim Beaupre gave the most detailed outline yet of where Charles Berlinghoff and the teen went during their 31-day disappearance.

On Nov. 10, the Wednesday they last were seen in east Redding, Charles Berlinghoff and the teen went north on Interstate 5 and ditched his 1987 Oldsmobile on Mears Ridge Road, which splits off Sims Road west of the freeway about 40 miles north of Redding, Beaupre said.

After staying in the woods for several days near Sims Road, Charles Berlinghoff and the girl jumped aboard a slow-moving freight train headed north.

They got off in Eugene, Ore., and eventually headed north to Portland, where they stayed for three weeks and worked in a soup kitchen while staying at a homeless shelter.

In Portland they met a man who was unaware that they were the objects of a search. The man drove them to San Francisco three or four days before Charles Berlinghoff was arrested Saturday.

During that drive they passed about 2½ miles from the teen’s home as they went south on Interstate 5.

“They went right through Redding,” Beaupre said.

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That makes me ill. I can only imagine what reading those text messages did to Jean's Father. How did he refrain from killing Uncle Charlie?

Well, LM, he went to his room to cool off. When he came back in they were gone.
Would you leave your daughter in the same room with him after what you just read? HELLoooooooooooo, No.

I can just see the movie now, as they run hand in hand to catch a slow moving freight train's open boxcar.

Still don't buy it.

Would you leave your daughter in the same room with him after what you just read? HELLoooooooooooo, No.

You are right very hinky stuff going on.

Are Uncle Charlie & Jean's father brother's? I admit I have not followed this case that closely.

I don't buy the slow moving train either. I also have a hard time buying a relative in SF spotting them. :scratch:

Yes, Uncle Charlie and Jean's father are brothers.......out of touch for many years.

Charles Berlinghoff’s whereabouts and those of his young niece are as mysterious to many of his family members as the strange turns his life took during a decade-long absence.
While Charlie, as his family members call him, reconnected with them around 2005, he didn’t tell them about his legal troubles. He didn’t say that he had been ordered to stay away from children under 18 during three of the years he was away. He didn’t talk about having to register as a sex offender.
Those details, revealed in Tehama County Court records, would have been warnings to Jacob Berlinghoff, 33, of Redding, who let Charlie back into his life and into the house where he lives with his two teenage girls and their two younger brothers.

I don't believe that this story was set up by the family to make a buck. If it was, then Jean's father needs to be locked up just because he's a village idiot. For a million bucks I wouldn't want the world to think that my daughter was having an inappropriate relationship with my brother. The father didn't handle the situation properly. He should have called :LE: as soon as he saw the text messages on Jean's phone and had Uncle Charlie locked up, instead of grounding Jean and taking a :zzzzz: I don't know what the hell he was thinking.

Does Sex Offender Uncle Charlie really think that family members are going want to help with his defense? Me thinks he's going to have to be satisfied with a court appointed attorney. I don't see the family having fund raisers for this Pig!

Uncle Charlie needs to be sent to the vet and get fixed....it would involve having his ball$ removed.
Pervert.So glad she is alive. NOW the therapy should begin!! IMHO.

The Shasta County District Attorney's office filed an additional 75 felony charges against the man accused of kidnapping his 15 year old niece.
Charles Berlinghoff now faces almost 100 charges, most of them felonies, for alleged sexual acts with his niece Jean Berlinghoff.
The pair went missing November 10th and a massive statewide search ensued. They were found in San Francisco on December 11th. Jean was taken into protective custody and Charles was arrested.
Charles will be back in court December 28th.

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Shasta County prosecutors have filed 97 charges against a 44-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting his teenage niece and keeping her from her family for a month.

Charles David Berlinghoff of Los Angeles is set to be arraigned Wednesday on felony counts that include lewd acts with a minor, incest and oral copulation.

Berlinghoff says he's working with his family to find an attorney.

According to the jail's website, Berlinghoff is being held at the Shasta County Jail in lieu of $1,100,000 bail.

Berlinghoff and his niece, Jean Marie Berlinghoff, disappeared Nov. 10, prompting state notices on electronic highway signs, a feature on the "America's Most Wanted" website and a massive search around her home city of Redding.

Charles Berlinghoff was arrested after a relative spotted the pair on a San Francisco street earlier this month.

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This may be a stupid question, but why so many charges? I am GLAD but wonder how they came up with these amount of charges. Did Jean tell them they had "sex" 97 times?

That is a good question, Wrap & I am wondering the same thing! I'm also wondering when he is going to shave that ridiculous "beard" off? It is definitely not helping his "image"! :lol!:

by Wrapitup Yesterday at 10:35 pm This may be a stupid question, but why so many charges? I am GLAD but wonder how they came up with these amount of charges. Did Jean tell them they had "sex" 97 times?

97 times in 31 days? Sorry, couldn't resist.

He doesn't shave off the beard because his brother wants Johnny Depp to play him in the movie!

This is strange.....like someone was keeping score.

Tuesday the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office charged Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, with 30 counts of lewd acts with a minor, 30 counts of incest and 15 counts of oral copulation.

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It's like notches on a bed post.

OK, so the 30 counts of lewd acts and the incest are all rolled into one. But the 15 counts of oral copulation (YUK!!) doesn't count as lewd acts and incest? Color me Completely confused.

CritterFan1 wrote:Uncle Charlie needs to be sent to the vet and get fixed....it would involve having his ball$ removed.
Pervert.So glad she is alive. NOW the therapy should begin!! IMHO.

Critter, you are so funny!
I agree, he needs to go to the Vet and have *all of it* removed, then go rot in prison. That pic of him was downright revolting and I can't even think of him doing any of those sex acts with anyone!
At the very least this Father is an idiot. I'm sure, have a *talk* with Uncle Charlie and the 15 year old about no more *sex texts*, then when the daughter has a fit, go to your room to cool off? Give me a break, that was time to throw the daughter into his locked room and throw Uncle Charlie out of the house! Better yet, call LE!

charminglane wrote:He doesn't shave off the beard because his brother wants Johnny Depp to play him in the movie!

Charm!!!!!!!

charminglane wrote:He doesn't shave off the beard because his brother wants Johnny Depp to play him in the movie!

Good one, Charm!

New court records released Tuesday reveal that Berlinghoff and the teen told sheriff’s detectives they had engaged in a sexual relationship from October to December.

According to the records, the teen told detectives that Berlinghoff “didn’t rape me.” She also said, “I love him, more than an uncle,” according to the records.

Other details from the investigative report include a statement by a friend of the teen who said she saw digital photographs and text messages that indicated that the teen and Charles Berlinghoff were having a sexual relationship. Charles Berlinghoff also told his San Bernardino roommate Nate Tabor that he had a “hot” 18-year-old girlfriend in Redding and, if given the chance, would like to have sex with her, the report states.

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This case really gets under my skin.

It seems like a rosy picture of two people running away, one of which is under legal age.

After staying in the woods for several days near Sims Road, Charles Berlinghoff and the girl jumped aboard a slow-moving freight train headed north.

They got off in Eugene, Ore., and eventually headed north to Portland, where they stayed for three weeks and worked in a soup kitchen while staying at a homeless shelter.

In Portland they met a man who was unaware that they were the objects of a search. The man drove them to San Francisco three or four days before Charles Berlinghoff was arrested Saturday.

I find it highly unlikely that they immediately found work volunteering in a soup kitchen with all the other homeless and hungry that were there before them. There is no room at the homeless shelters that I know of. Why was it so easy for them?
Sorry, it all seems like a movie--yet to be made.

I find it highly unlikely that they immediately found work volunteering in a soup kitchen

She is young enough to require a work permit if I am not mistaken. I agree highly unlikely that they landed jobs that easy.

Jacob Berlinghoff’s brother, Charles Berlinghoff, appeared in Shasta County Superior Court today, where he was assigned a public defender and did not enter a plea.

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A Southern California man accused of sex crimes with his 15-year-old niece and keeping her from her parents for a month last year was in court again Tuesday morning.

Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of San Bernardino, appeared briefly before Judge Wilson Curle. Curle granted the joint request of Berlinghoff's attorney, public defender Max Ruffcorn Sr., and deputy district attorney Curtis Woods to hold off on a preliminary hearing until Feb. 4. Both attorneys asked for the extra time to review police reports and other evidence in the case.

Berlinghoff is charged with nearly 100 felonies, including 30 counts of lewd acts with a minor, 30 counts of incest and 15 counts of oral copulation.

While the name of the 15-year-old niece was publicized during her disappearance from Nov. 10 to Dec. 11, the Record Searchlight is withholding it after learning the nature of the charges against her uncle. The newspaper does not name victims of alleged sex crimes.

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While the name of the 15-year-old niece was publicized during her disappearance from Nov. 10 to Dec. 11, the Record Searchlight is withholding it after learning the nature of the charges against her uncle. The newspaper does not name victims of alleged sex crimes.

That horse has already left the barn. Gotta love the media.

Day late; $ short! Her name is JEAN! Hello!

Uncle Charlie will be in court on Friday.

Uncle FREAK.

Well said, Charm!! :muahaha:

charminglane wrote:Uncle FREAK.

Charm, Uncle FREAK!

Freak. Party of one. Freak.?

A Feb. 22 preliminary hearing date was scheduled this morning in Shasta County Superior Court for a Southern California man accused of sex crimes with his 15-year-old Redding niece and keeping her from her parents for a month last year.

Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of San Bernardino, appeared briefly before Judge Wilson Curle for the setting of his preliminary hearing on three separate cases.

The preliminary hearing will determine whether sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for him.

Berlinghoff, who remains in custody in Shasta County jail in lieu of $1.6 million bail, is charged with nearly 100 felonies, including 30 counts of lewd acts with a minor, 30 counts of incest and 15 counts of oral copulation.

While the name of the 15-year-old niece was publicized during her disappearance from Nov. 10 to Dec. 11, the Record Searchlight is withholding it after learning the nature of the charges against her uncle. The newspaper does not name victims of alleged sex crimes.

Earlier this week, the father of the Redding teen, Jacob Daniel Berlinghoff, 33, pleaded not guilty to charges that he inappropriately fondled his daughter in 2008.

He is charged with one felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under 14, as well as misdemeanor counts of annoying a child and sexual battery.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 8.

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A Southern California man accused of keeping his Redding niece away from her parents for a month late last year turned down a plea deal Thursday that could have led to 15 years in prison.

Now Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, could face more than 40 years in prison if he is convicted of nearly 100 felony sex crimes he's accused of committing while traveling to Oregon and back to Northern California with the 15-year-old girl, said Shasta County Superior Court Judge Wilson Curle.

"If he wants 40 years, he can make a run for that," Curle said after Berlinghoff declined the plea deal and expressed confusion about his plea in the case.

Berlinghoff told Curle that he was unaware he'd entered a "not guilty" plea in the case and wished to change that to "no plea." He said he'd learned of his plea only by reading the newspaper.

"They can't just enter a plea," Berlinghoff said.

Curle said Berlinghoff, or his attorney, entered the not guilty plea Jan. 5 and if he wished to change that he could enter "guilty" or "no contest," but then the case wouldn't go to trial.

Complaining that his public defender, Max Ruffcorn Sr., wasn't hearing him out, Berlinghoff said he feels his constitutional rights under the 14th Amendment are being violated. The amendment ensures the right of due process.

Berlinghoff said that despite numerous calls to his attorney, Ruffcorn hasn't reviewed all the evidence in the case.

Curle said the attorney has reviewed hours of recorded interviews.

"Your honor, this is still much more to go over," Berlinghoff said.

Curle set a trial readiness conference for Berlinghoff on Friday morning and a preliminary hearing for Tuesday morning.

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I can't even look at that face. He makes me sick. And, he isn't stupid. He knows what he plead.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charm, that is hilarious! He does resemble that picture, and I would really like to cut that braid off his chin!! (I have never seen someone with a braid on their chin... who knew?!?) I wonder why he would turn down a plea deal?

He is no Captain Jack Sparrow with that beard braid.

He would turn down a plea because he says she went willingly with him--that he did nothing wrong.

This guy is really a wack-job. JMHO!

A Southern California man accused of keeping his 15-year-old Redding niece from her parents for a month late last year argued Friday morning that he wanted to fire his public defender and represent himself in Shasta County Superior Court proceedings.

"He indicated to me that he wanted to represent himself," said public defender Max Ruffcorn Sr.

But after some discussion with Judge Wilson Curle, Charles David Berlinghoff suddenly went silent and the judge ordered that Ruffcorn would continue to represent him.

Before he stopped talking, Berlinghoff complained Friday morning that his constitutional rights were being violated. He said a form he was asked to sign in order to defend himself was a contract with the county that took away his rights.

"I do not agree with that form," Berlinghoff said. " ... I do not feel I'm getting equal representation."

In discussing Berlinghoff's request to defend himself, Curle asked him questions about what that would mean and Berlinghoff's education level.

"If you are going to represent yourself I have to be assured you're capable," Curle said. " ... Do you understand what you're doing?"

Early in the string of questions Curle asked Berlinghoff whether he had any college education. Berlinghoff replied that he had an associate degree in business administration.

As the questions went on, Berlinghoff stopped responding to Curle. He then sat motionless. When Curle asked whether he still wanted to represent himself, Berlinghoff remained mute. Curle said public defender Max Ruffcorn Sr. is still his attorney.

Berlinghoff is due in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

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by BJ 20 Feb 2011 at 1:34
This guy is really a wack-job. JMHO!

Again, with you BJ.

My opinion is that his niece Jean is a minor and I don't think it would make much difference is she was willing or not. At least it would not make a difference in my eyes.

I agree with both of you, BJ and PFF, what a nut job.

You're right PFF, Jean is a minor and she cannot give her permission to either have sex or to run off with him.

Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of San Bernardino, is accused of felony unlawful detention of a minor, 10 felony counts of providing lewd material to a minor, one felony count of arranging a meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose, 30 felony counts of lewd acts with a minor, 30 felony counts of incest, 15 felony counts of oral copulation and delinquency of a minor. He is due back in court March 7.

Berlinghoff could be sentenced to 40 years in prison if convicted.

His niece was 15 when the two started a sexual relationship, Shasta County Sheriff's Detective Brian Jackson testified Tuesday at a preliminary hearing in Shasta County District Court.

Interviewed after disappearing with her uncle from Nov. 10 until Dec. 11, the teen told Jackson that she had feelings for her uncle "more than in just a familial way," Jackson said.

The teen told him that she and her uncle first revealed their feelings for each other on Sept. 26 and kissed while in a parked car, Jackson said. A couple of days later she said they had sex for the first time. Jackson said it was a sexual relationship that continued during Charles Berlinghoff's visits to the north state from Southern California and into the time the two traveled to Portland, Ore., and then to San Francisco together.

Jackson said the teen didn't keep a diary of how many times they had sex, but "she estimated 20 to 30 times."

Charles Berlinghoff and the teen sent sexual, sometimes explicit, text messages to each other between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10, Shasta County Sheriff's Detective Mark Haslam, testified. He said the uncle and niece had a "boyfriend, girlfriend-type," relationship.

Reading from 31 pages of text messages, Haslam said Charles Berlinghoff called the teen "sweet pea," a "beautiful hottie," and his "amazing girlfriend."

In one text exchange on Nov. 2, Haslam said Charles Berlinghoff and the teen arranged how he'd enter through a back door of her east Redding home to meet with her.

Jackson said Charles Berlinghoff had an argument with the teen's father, Jacob Berlinghoff, 33, of Redding, the morning he and the teen left. The argument centered on his staying out late with the teen and "suspicious text messages" between the two, Jackson said.

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How can Jean not see how wrong this is? A relationship with her blood Uncle?
Not to mention he is an adult way older than her.

I agree, LM! Not to mention he looks very scary. I see that is braid has now moved from his chin to the back of his head. Some improvement, but still scary!

Looking at that updated pic of him, I want to .
I wish one of his fellow inmates would hold him down and shave that head and facial hair, actually I wish they'd all do something else too.
All I can think of w/ the 15 year old is that she must have low self esteem (at the very least) to have those feelings for her own Uncle plus one so much older than her!

Charles David Berlinghoff, 44, of San Bernardino, is accused of felony unlawful detention of a minor, 10 felony counts of providing lewd material to a minor, one felony count of arranging a meeting with a minor for a lewd purpose, 30 felony counts of lewd acts with a minor, 30 felony counts of incest, 15 felony counts of oral copulation and delinquency of a minor.

I think I have stated this before. How did the State discern how many times there was incest and oral copulation??? Is it just me but is this strange?

Jean must have been making notches on her belt every time they engaged in "whatever". She said those weeks on the road with Charlie were the best time of her life!

Gag me with an axe!!!

LOL wrap and BJ.