Dan McDonald

Former Quincy restaurateur Patrick Michael Le Coq pleaded “no contest” to a charge of felony sexual battery Wednesday morning, March 20, in Plumas County Superior Court.

Le Coq, 54, is scheduled to be sentenced April 12. He faces up to two years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Le Coq has been held in the Plumas County jail since his June 26, 2012, arrest. He was charged with committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child.

District Attorney David Hollister said he was pleased with the conviction.

“This case had been the subject of speculation in the community,” Hollister said. “Today’s conviction validates the statements of witnesses, and the outstanding investigative work of the Plumas County Detectives division.”

Hollister said the evidence presented during a March 7 preliminary examination was “compelling.”

The pre-trial examination included three hours of testimony from three witnesses, including the victim’s mother.

The judge heard a recorded interview of Le Coq, conducted by a sheriff’s detective the day of the arrest. A video recording of the victim being interviewed by a social worker was also presented as evidence.

Le Coq, owner of the now shuttered Café Le Coq in Quincy, stated repeatedly during his taped interview that he did not remember the incident. He said he had been drinking beer and smoking marijuana during the day prior to the incident.