Woman gets 6 years for having sex with son’s 12-year-old friend

A Fountain Valley woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for having sex with a 12-year-old boy who was a friend of her son.

Patricia Ann Serrano, 45, pleaded guilty last month to three felony counts of lewd acts with a child under 14, with a sentencing enhancement for substantial sexual conduct with a minor, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Serrano also pleaded guilty to one felony count of forgery and one misdemeanor count of attempted petty theft for giving a fake letter from the district attorney’s office to her employer.

In addition to her six-year prison sentence, Serrano must also register as a sex offender, the Huntington Beach Independent reported.

The boy in the case was a friend of Serrano’s son, prosecutors said. In addition to sending him sexual text messages, Serrano had sex with him twice in October 2011 -- once in her home and once in her car, prosecutors said.

The boy’s mother became suspicious when she discovered her son and Serrano together in a locked room, after which she called police, prosecutors said.

Fountain Valley police arrested Serrano in November 2011.

Prosecutors said Serrano also drafted a “false legal letter” in December 2012, using fake Orange County district attorney’s office stationery and forging the name of the deputy district attorney who was prosecuting her case.

Serrano used the letter as evidence to her employer that she had been in court on a date where she missed work, prosecutors said, attempting to “fraudulently receive payment” from the employer for that missed day.

Serrano’s employer later discovered that the letter was forged, prosecutors said.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @bradleyzint

Bradley Zint is a staff writer for Times Community News.