Makayla Settles, 18, moved from her home in North Carolina to live with her father, 41-year-old Stephen Chavez, in California in July 2025. Chavez had reportedly promised to give her a car and a college fund.
On May 18, Chavez pleaded guilty to felony incest and misdemeanor providing alcohol to a minor, KTTV reports.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that on June 23, Chavez was sentenced to a year in jail followed by three years of probation. The Ventura County Star reports that Settles’ family members and the prosecution had requested he be sentenced to three years in state prison. Judge Dusty Kawai said could not sentence Chavez to the maximum allowed, three years, because he does not have a criminal history.
Prosecutors were only able to file the charges they could prove in court, according to the Ventura County Star. The district attorney’s office reportedly reviewed whether they could file additional charges.
The DA’s review consisted of interviews, forensic testing, analysis of electronic evidence, and medical evaluations.
According to the press release, “A team of 10 prosecutors within the District Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence and findings. … The office also consulted with experienced prosecutors and legal experts from another county. After this extensive review, all concluded that incest was the only felony charge supported by the law, facts, and admissible evidence.”
Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty said, “The People requested the maximum three-year state prison sentence because the defendant 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. … While we respect the court’s decision, we continue to believe a state prison sentence was warranted under the facts of this case.”
At the sentencing, Settles’ mother, Carolina Sandoval, told Chavez, “You were grooming her, and she had zero clue, so when you did what you did, she was in complete shock,” the Ventura County Star reports.
Settles’ sister, Jaida Settles, also spoke, saying, “He ruined her life, and now he’s ruined mine. I don’t have her, and it’s because of him. … There’s no doubt in my mind it’s because of him.
In an online tribute to Settles, her friend Vy Tran wrote, “I wished we could’ve had more adventures together, always looking to meet new people with you. So caring to any and everyone even if you just had met them. You never met a stranger, only friends you hadn’t made yet. I love you always.”
Per the Ventura County Star, Chavez will receive 88 days of credit for time served and following his release must register as a sex offender for 20 years.
