A Moorpark man faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison after admitting to sexually assaulting his own daughter, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Stephen Chavez, 41, pleaded guilty May 18 to one count of incest and one count of providing alcohol to a minor and admitted to the special allegations that he took advantage of a position of trust and that the victim was vulnerable, court records show.
The charges stem from a July 2025 incident when Chavez purchased alcohol for himself and his 18-year-old biological daughter to drink and then had sexual intercourse with her, prosecutors said.
The daughter, prosecutors said, died by suicide in December.
The 18 year old “placed her trust and well-being in the defendant’s care, moving from North Carolina to California to start a new life with him,” Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty wrote in a news release. “The defendant violated this trust and shattered the father-daughter relationship in an unimaginable way, conduct for which prison is the only appropriate sentence.”
The Star does not name victims of sexual assault.
The district attorney’s office initially considered charging Chavez with rape but, after analyzing the evidence, determined incest was the proper charge, the news release states.
Court records show Chavez initially pleaded not guilty to both incest and providing alcohol to a minor, and his preliminary hearing was scheduled for May 19.
Chavez’s sentencing is now set for June 23, and he will be required to register as a sex offender for 20 years, according to the DA’s office.
Until then, he remains in custody at Ventura County Main Jail, according to records.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Moorpark man admits to sexually assaulting teenage daughter
Reporting by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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