Former Cal Poly administrator, current Bike SLO Executive Director charged with lewd act on a child

This is a cross-published piece with Mustang News, more information can be found here.

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Richard Ellison pleaded not guilty to a felony charge for a lewd act with a child under 14 years old, according to San Luis Obispo court records. Ellison was previously Associate Vice President for University Advancement at Cal Poly from 2014-2015, according to university spokesperson Keegan Koberl and Bike SLO.

If convicted, Ellison could face up to eight years in state prison and would have to register as a sex offender. California’s Megan’s Law mandates the state’s Department of Justice to notify the public of specific sex offenders and allow their addresses to be searchable for public safety.

Ellison is currently not in custody, and his next court date is Nov. 18. 

Ellison was also employed by Cal Poly from 1998-2005 but information on his exact positions is not available, according to Koberl. He currently serves as executive director for Bike SLO, a local nonprofit that advocates for a safer bike community, according to Bike SLO.

Local attorney Carrie Winters will be representing Ellison, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow will serve as prosecution, according to court records.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.