DAD SET FOR RELEASE 5 MONTHS AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO INCEST
A California man who pleaded guilty to having sex with his 18-year-old biological daughter is scheduled to be released from jail after serving about five months of a one-year sentence. Stephen Vincent Chavez, 41, admitted to incest and providing alcohol to his daughter, Makayla Settles, just months before she died by suicide.
The New York Post reported that an inmate record showed Chavez was set to walk free on November 9, 2026. His short sentence sparked outrage online and devastation from Makayla’s family members, who condemned Chavez in court and questioned whether the legal system had done enough.
Makayla had moved from North Carolina to live with Chavez in Moorpark, California. In July 2025, after a day of drinking at a family gathering, Chavez bought more alcohol for the two of them to drink at his home. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said Chavez then engaged in sexual intercourse with her.
Makayla died by suicide on December 28, 2025.
Chavez pleaded guilty in May 2026 to felony incest and misdemeanor providing alcohol to a minor. He acknowledged taking advantage of a position of trust and targeting a vulnerable victim.
Prosecutors asked for the maximum penalty of three years in state prison. Instead, on June 23, 2026, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Dusty Kawai sentenced Chavez to one year in jail and three years of felony probation. He is also required to register as a sex offender for 20 years. According to the Ventura County Star, the judge cited Chavez’s lack of a prior criminal history to explain why the maximum sentence could not be imposed without his consent. Chavez also received credit for 88 days already served.
The DA’s office said it spent months reviewing whether additional charges, including rape, could be filed. After conducting forensic testing, medical evaluations, and interviews, prosecutors determined the case was properly charged as incest under the law.
Deputy District Attorney Tessa McCarty said Makayla had trusted Chavez to protect her after moving across the country.
“[Chavez] violated this trust and shattered the father-daughter relationship in an unimaginable way,” McCarty said.
