According to Santa Clarita Sheriff Station deputies, a Santa Clarita Valley couple has been arrested under suspicion of committing lewd acts with children. Investigators have discovered 10 alleged victims so far, and are concerned that there may be more.
The couple, Francisco Avendano and Jacquelin Wadsworth are suspected of molesting children at various locations all over Santa Clarita. Like many sexual predators, the couple is alleged to have targeted children within their own neighborhood by first gaining the trust of the children and their parents by acting as though they were caring and concerned neighbors. After molesting the children, it’s reported that the couple threatened to further harm the victims and their families if they spoke out.
Currently, Avendano is being held in lieu of $2 million dollars bail, while Wadsworth is being held in lieu of $220,000 bail.
Committing lewd acts on a child is covered under California Penal Code 288 PC and is described as touching a child somewhere on their body for sexual purposes. Most often, PC 288 is charged when a child is touched on one of their sexual organs, though the way the law is worded, where the child is touched is less important than how the child is touched. That being said, it’s possible to be charged with violating PC 288 even if the child was not touched on one of their sexual organs, or if the touching was done over the clothes.
The penalties for violating PC 288 will vary depending on the age of the child involved.
- If the child was under the age of 14, it will be charged as a felony with the possible sentences of probation and up to 1-year in county jail or 3, 6, or 8 years in California state prison.
- If the child was 14 or 15, it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, with the misdemeanor sentence including probation and up to 1-year in county jail while the felony sentence includes 16-months to 3-years in Californa state prison.
- If the minor was 16 or 17, the case would instead be prosecuted as statutory rape (PC 261.5) or sexual battery (PC 243.4)
Any conviction of the above convictions also require that the defendant register for life as a sex offender.