California throuple to serve 100 years in prison over child abuse, torture and sexual abuse at home
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BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: A polyamorous trio has collectively been sentenced to 100 years behind bars after they were charged with multiple counts of child abuse, sexual abuse, and torture. The 41-year-old man Robert Chavez recently pleaded no contest to several charges of abuse following the horrifying physical violence inside his home in Magalia.
According to prosecutors, the victims of the violence were his five children aged between four and 16. Charges against him include one count of torture of a young male child and several counts of molestation and rape of four female children. The victims shared two mothers, Kelsey Cabrera, 35, and Amanda Johnson, 38, who has also pleaded no contest to one count of dissuading witnesses and multiple counts of felony child abuse, reported Law and Crime.
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'Impossible to grasp the full extent of what the children suffered'
One of the children talked to someone at school about the abuse in January. Following the information, Butte County District Attorney’s Office and investigators conducted a follow-up interview and later attempted to take Chavez into custody.
"During an initial search of the home, Chavez was not initially located, but investigators discovered he was hiding in a crawl space above the home’s garage. After a prolonged standoff, involving multiple agencies, Chavez was eventually arrested and taken into custody," according to a press release.
"Over the following weeks, the district attorney investigators conducted multiple interviews and learned the extent of the abuse occurring in the home at the hands of Chavez," the statement added. The physical abuse took place "so often that it was impossible to grasp the full extent of what the children suffered," said the DA's office.
Children underwent 'extreme levels' of physical abuse
According to the investigators, "extreme levels" of physical abuse and several incidents of sexual abuse took place over time. The disturbing violence included the children being punched in their faces, kicked in their bodies, beaten with whips and paddles, and shot with BB guns.
"Chavez would routinely take pleasure in torturing a young boy in the home, beating him until he could not stand and inflicting extensive bruising. Chavez also burned a young girl with cigarettes to her face. Chavez would also threaten to harm the children if they ever disclosed any of the abuse," the DA's office stated. While Johnson and Carbera face up to 10 years and eight months each behind bars, Chavez is sentenced to a prison time of 80 years to life, reported Law and Crime.