Ventura County Father Gets 1 Year in Jail for Incest After Daughter’s Suicide
Prosecutors sought a three-year prison term after a review found incest was the only felony charge supported by admissible evidence.
- On Tuesday, June 23, a Ventura County Superior Court judge sentenced Moorpark resident Stephen Vincent Chavez to one year in jail and three years of felony probation after he pleaded guilty to incest and providing alcohol to his 18-year-old biological daughter, Makayla Rene Settles.
- In July 2025, two days after Settles moved from North Carolina to Chavez's Moorpark home, Chavez admitted to "taking advantage of a position of trust" after purchasing alcohol for his daughter and engaging in sexual intercourse with her.
- Before the plea, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko directed a team of ten prosecutors to conduct an exhaustive review to determine if harsher charges like rape could be filed, though they ultimately concluded incest was the only charge supported by admissible evidence.
- Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty requested the maximum three-year prison term, but Judge Kawai stated he could not impose that sentence without consent, as Chavez lacked a criminal history. Family members delivered impact statements describing the "devastating loss of Makayla."
- Settles died by suicide in December 2025, five months after the assault. For those struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-HOPE for support.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Moorpark father sentenced to one year in jail — not prison — after pleading guilty to incest with daughter who died by suicide
A Ventura County judge handed Stephen Vincent Chavez one year in jail and three years of felony probation for incest with his biological daughter, rejecting prosecutors’ push for a three-year state prison term and drawing sharp criticism from the district attorney’s office that tried the case. Chavez, 41, of Moorpark, California, pleaded guilty in May...
The sentence sparked outrage after it was revealed it would allow the 41-year-old to avoid state prison and serve his sentence in the county jail.
This Will Make Your Blood Boil: Democrat Judge’s Sentence for California Dad Who Admitted Incest With Daughter Who Took Her Own Life
A California father who admitted to committing incest with his own 18-year-old daughter — who later took her own life — received what many are calling a shockingly light sentence from a Democrat judge. Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, faced accusations of violating his biological daughter, Makayla Rene Settles. Prosecutors say that after a day of drinking at a family gathering in July 2025, Chavez bought additional alcohol for himself and his daughte…
Newsom-Appointed Judge Gives Short Sentence to Dad Who Had Sex with Daughter Who Later Committed Suicide
A Southern California father who admitted to having sex with his 18-year-old biological daughter — who later took her own life — received a hand-slap sentence this week, shocking local prosecutors who asked for the maximum punishment.
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