Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of incest and one misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor in connection with the abuse of his 18-year-old daughter, Makayla Settles, prosecutors said. A Southern California father who admitted to sexually abusing his biological daughter after giving her alcohol is expected to leave jail after serving about five months in jail.
He was sentenced to one year in Ventura County Jail and three years of probation by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Dusty Kawai in June. Online users criticized the punishment, calling the sentence too lenient for the harm caused. Chavez’s release date is listed as Monday, November 9, according to inmate records.
Authorities alleged Chavez bought alcohol for himself and his daughter after they had already been drinking at a family gathering. After entering his guilty plea, Chavez was taken into custody. Critics expressed anger over the sentence, arguing that the punishment did not reflect the severity of the allegations and the impact on Makayla’s family. One user on X wrote , “How bad does a crime have to be for California before they punish someone? You can literally commit the most heinous crimes with zero consequences.”
He was formally sentenced on June 23 and ordered to register as a sex offender for 20 years.
