A California woman, who provided babysitting services specifically for children with special needs, has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for sexually assaulting at least four girls as young as three. Brittney Mae Lyon, 31, and her boyfriend, Samuel Cabrera, 31, were found guilty of creating a system of child abuse, preying on vulnerable children under Lyon’s care.
Lyon pleaded guilty in May to two felony counts of lewd act upon a child and two counts of forcible lewd act upon a child, as reported by the San Diego District Attorney. Two of the victims were diagnosed with autism, one of whom was nonverbal. Lyon and Cabrera would coordinate to gain access to the children, either at Cabrera’s residence or at Lyon’s home.
The abuse was discovered when a seven-year-old girl expressed her reluctance to go with Lyon, who was a family friend. The girl’s mother reported her concerns to the police, leading to Lyon’s arrest in 2016. Cabrera was apprehended after a brief police chase.
Upon investigation, police found a double-locked box in Cabrera’s car containing six computer hard drives. These drives held hundreds of videos showing the pair sexually abusing the children, sometimes drugging or assaulting them. Lyon had also recorded women and girls in changing rooms at clothing stores, bathrooms, and locker rooms across the North County area.
Further victims were identified when families of three-year-olds came forward, revealing they had hired Lyon through an online babysitting website. Lyon was sentenced to 100 years-to-life on August 14. Cabrera was convicted by a jury in 2019 and sentenced to eight life terms without parole in 2021.
Under California parole laws, Lyon can petition for parole when she turns 50, potentially serving 28 years in state prison. State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones expressed his concern over this loophole, stating that the state needs to honor Lyon’s sentence for the sake of the victims.
In response to this case, California politicians introduced Senate Bill 286, aiming to amend the current state law and prevent convicted sex offenders from applying for elderly parole. Assembly Bill 47, another proposal, seeks to prevent sex offenders from qualifying for early parole under the elder parole law. Both bills are currently pending in the respective chambers’ appropriations committee.
San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan is advocating for these bills as a measure to protect the community from violent sex offenders and murderers. She emphasized the need to prioritize the victims, their families, and the safety of all children in California over the rights of convicted child molesters.