By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-24 13:12:30 | Updated at 2026-06-25 18:19:54
1 day ago
A California father was handed a lenient sentence of just one year in jail after admitting to having sex with his own teenage daughter before she took her own life.
Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, pleaded guilty in May to incest and providing alcohol to a minor, and received his tiny sentence at a hearing this week, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said.
The sentence sparked outrage after it emerged that it would allow Chavez to avoid state prison and serve his time in county jail for just one year, followed by three years' probation.
Chavez admitted to plying his daughter Makayla Settles, 18, with alcohol after a family gathering in July 2025, in a sickening scheme to have sex with her at their home.
Prosecutors said the attack came just two days after Makayla moved into her father's home, and followed a 'day of drinking' at the gathering, after which Chavez bought extra alcohol for himself and his daughter.
'Chavez then engaged in sexual intercourse with her,' the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
Makayla died by suicide five months later in December 2025.
Chavez's light sentence drew backlash, with prosecutors pushing for a three years state prison term - the maximum sentence for felony incest under California law.
Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, pleaded guilty in May to having sex with his daughter Makayla, 18, by plying her with alcohol in July 2025. She took her own life five months later
Makayla Settles, 18, died by suicide in December 2025 following the sex attack by her own father
Chavez was sentenced to just one year in jail and three years' probation in a lenient sentence this week that sparked backlash
Prosecutors slammed the lenient sentence as they said Chavez's plea agreement was presented straight to Ventura County Superior Court Judge Dusty Kawai, and it bypassed the sentencing recommendation put forward by the district attorney's office.
Kawai said he could not legally impose the maximum term, as Chavez had no prior criminal record, per the New York Post.
The sickening episode that culminated in Makayla's suicide led prosecutors to explore further charges including rape, but they said they only had enough evidence to charge Chavez with incest.
In a GoFundMe set up by Makayla's relatives, they slammed this decision as they said Chavez deserved to face more serious charges.
'Despite clear evidence, including a rape kit, a statement to the police, and a recorded interview at the safe house, the Ventura County District Attorney has told us that none of this can be used because Makayla is no longer here to speak for herself,' they wrote.
'This has left us feeling helpless and heartbroken, but we refuse to let her story end without a fight.'
Her loved ones said they are now seeking to raise funds to hire a civil lawyer, 'who can take on Makayla’s case and help us pursue justice, not just for her, but for others who may face similar circumstances.'
Prosecutors said Chavez plied his daughter with alcohol after a family gathering before he had sex with her
Makayla seen in hospital before she died in December 2025
In a news release, the district attorney's office noted that at Chavez's sentencing hearing, several members of Makayla's family gave harrowing victim impact statements, 'describing the lasting trauma caused by the defendant’s actions and the devastating loss of Makayla.'
Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty also condemned Chavez after his sentencing, saying he took advantage of his young daughter and betrayed her trust in a horrific way.
'Chavez exploited his position as a father, violated his daughter’s trust, supplied her with alcohol, and engaged in criminal conduct that forever altered the course of her life,' McCarty said.
'While we respect the court’s decision, we continue to believe a state prison sentence was warranted under the facts of this case,' she added.
Chavez, seen in court, was handed a light sentence against the wishes of prosecutors as a judge said he had no prior criminal record
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Dusty Kawai sparked backlash with his lenient sentencing in the case
Backlash over Kawai's lenient sentencing comes just weeks after the judge also drew scrutiny for going against prosecutors' recommendations in the case of a Ventura County man who killed two people in a crash when speeding at over 100mph.
In that case, Kawai shaved two years off the sentence for the suspect, Sharbel Touma, and gave him just three years and four months behind bars - less than prosecutors expected.
