Sexual Offenses

Published on: September 6, 2012

Essential Information About The Child Abuse Central Index (CACI)

The Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) was created by the California Legislature in 1965 and is maintained by the California Department of Justice (CDOJ). In an effort to protect the health and safety of children in the state, individuals against whom issues of child neglect or abuse were reported and found to be substantiated are included on the CACI. As of 2011, it contained names of about 850,000 people who were suspected of physical, sexual, metal or emotional abuse and/or neglect of a minor.

People on this list have not necessarily been convicted of a crime, but surprisingly, until 2012, even people who were the subjects of investigations with unsubstantiated findings were likewise included on this list as a possible child abuser.

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Published on: August 7, 2012

What Happened at Band Camp?!

by Staycie R. Sena

If a female teacher has had sex with a former student when that student became an adult, should a jury know about it if she’s on trial for having sex with a minor student? Carlie Rose Attebury of Orange County, was recently found guilty of sex crimes involving a minor. During her trial, the prosecution introduced evidence that she had also had sex with three adult alumni of the school, shortly after they graduated.

Attebury, 32, was sentenced to 16 months in prison and forced to register as a sex offender. Her criminal defense attorney appealed the decision to the 4^th District Court of Appeal. The justices ruled that the testimony by the three alumni was too prejudicial and should not have been told to the jury. They held that evidence suggested that she schemed or planned to have sex with minors, even though the students were legal adults. Because that suggestion was likely to have prejudiced the jury and may have contributed to her conviction, the appellate court overturned her convictions.

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Published on: September 16, 2010

Tougher sentences for sex crimes – Chelsea’s Law

by Staycie R. Sena

“Chelsea’s Law” was signed into effect on September 9, 2010. Codified as AB1844, the law becomes one of the toughest in the world for sexual offenders. Most punitive perhaps, is its “one strike and you’re out” element or a provision that allows a life sentence without the possibility of parole for an adult defendant who engages in even a single act of forcible sexual conduct against a child 14 years old or younger.

Other provisions require lifetime parole for violent sexual offenders, GPS monitoring as part of that parole and lifetime prohibitions against entering parks where children could play.

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