A Moorpark father who admitted to an incestuous relationship with his 18-year-old biological daughter was spared a state prison sentence this week, prompting anger after prosecutors argued the case represented a serious abuse of parental trust and authority.
Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, received a sentence of one year in jail and three years of felony probation, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said. He had pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of incest and one misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Prosecutors had sought a harsher outcome, characterizing Chavez’s conduct as a grave betrayal within the family. However, the sentence followed an open plea submitted directly to Ventura County Superior Court Judge Dusty Kawai, leaving the court to decide punishment without adopting the prosecution’s recommendation.
Under California law, the maximum penalty for felony incest is three years in state prison.
Kawai stated that he could not legally impose the maximum term because Chavez had no prior criminal history.
The District Attorney’s Office said prosecutors also examined whether other charges, including rape, could be pursued. After reviewing the law, evidence and admissible facts, they determined that incest was the only felony count they could support.
The case dates back to July 2025, when Chavez’s daughter, Makayla Rene Settles, was staying at his home in Moorpark.
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According to prosecutors, the events unfolded after a family gathering where alcohol had been consumed. Chavez later bought additional alcohol for himself and his daughter to drink at the residence, authorities said.
“After a day of drinking at a family gathering, Chavez purchased additional alcohol for himself and his daughter to consume at home. Chavez then engaged in sexual intercourse with her,” the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
Makayla died by suicide in December 2025.
Chavez’s sentence has triggered intense backlash, particularly because prosecutors sought a three-year state prison term, which the court rejected.
“Several members of Makayla’s family addressed the court during sentencing and provided emotional victim impact statements describing the lasting trauma caused by the defendant’s actions and the devastating loss of Makayla,” the news release said.
Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty sharply condemned Chavez’s actions, calling out what she described as a flagrant betrayal of parental trust.
“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.
She added, “While we respect the court’s decision, we continue to believe a state prison sentence was warranted under the facts of this case.”
Kawai, a registered Democrat, also faced sharp criticism from prosecutors after shaving two years off the recommended sentence for an Oxnard driver who killed two people on Feb. 12, 2023, while speeding at 108 mph.
