Two men accused of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl from Santa Barbara have been released from custody, according to the Santa Barbara County Main Jail records office.
Dr. Andrew Bourne, 46, and Joseph Walker, 48, split their time between Mammoth Lakes and Santa Barbara and own homes in both cities.
Their bail amounts were reduced from $1 million to $750,000 on Tuesday, and they were released from jail by Thursday evening.
Bourne was arrested on eight counts of illegal communication with a minor to facilitate sexual activity. Walker was arrested on six counts of illegal communication with a minor to facilitate sexual activity and one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
Bourne is a surgeon, Mammoth Unified School District board member and former chief of staff at Mammoth Hospital, and Walker is described only as an international businessman.
The investigation began in September 2011 when suspicious emails to the girl were discovered and reported to the Santa Barbara Police Department. Police said more than 1,000 emails to the girl, who is now 15, were discovered.
A preliminary hearing for the men in scheduled for Jan. 25 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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