Caregiver Pleads Guilty to Child Molestation

By the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office

Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced that on May 25, 2023, 63-year-old Santa Barbara County resident Manuel Navarro Magallon, pled guilty to the following charges: four counts of Sexual Penetration of a Child Under 10 Years Old in violation of Penal Code § 228.7(b), nine counts of Lewd or Lascivious Acts on a Child in violation of Penal Code § 288(a), and sixteen counts of Using a Minor for Sex Acts in violation of Penal Code § 311.4(c).

In March of 2019 Jane Doe, then 13 years old, reported that she found a hidden camera in her bathroom and that she believed it had been placed there by Mr. Navarro Magallon. Mr. Navarro Magallon had been working in Jane Doe’s home since 2011 as a caregiver for her brothers. On March 29, 2019, a search warrant was conducted on Mr. Navarro Magallon’s apartment and a number of electronic devices were seized from his room. On those devices, Santa Barbara Police Department Detectives found numerous videos of Jane Doe being molested when she was under ten.

On May 25, 2023, after a jury had been impaneled, the Defendant decided to plead guilty to 29 out of the 30 charges he was facing. This just outcome could not have been obtained without the bravery exhibited by Jane Doe and her mother. The successful prosecution in this case can be attributed to the relentless efforts of Santa Barbara Police Detectives, District Attorney Investigators, and Deputy District Attorney Lauren Franco, who worked diligently to ensure the Defendant’s accountability for his crimes. Additionally, District Attorney John T. Savrnoch expresses gratitude and recognition to the jury for their invaluable service in this challenging trial. Sentencing is scheduled for July 26, 2023 in Santa Barbara Superior Court Department 12 in front of the Honorable Judge Michael Carrozzo. The Defendant is currently in custody, and is facing a maximum sentence of 120 years followed by 60 to life in the state prison.