On August 21, 2007, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Patrick O’Hara imposed a prison sentence of 16 years on 38 year old Thad Lee Young of Visalia and Farmersville. A jury convicted the defendant on a total of six felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14. The jury also found true that four of the felony counts involved substantial sexual conduct, including penetration, masturbation, and oral copulation. The Defendant was also convicted of two counts of misdemeanor annoying or molesting a child, resulting from allegations that the defendant showed the seven year old victim images of child pornography and attempted to use a dog in a sexual act. Finally, the defendant was convicted for possession of child pornography.

Because the defendant was convicted of violent felonies, his credits are limited to 15% on the entire case. The defendant’s conviction of 5 separate “strike” offenses makes him subject to the “Three Strikes” law if he commits another felony. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $4,000 restitution fine, to register as a sex offender under Penal Code section 290, to submit to AIDS testing under Penal Code section 1202.1, and to provide DNA samples under Penal Code section 296.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Bethany M. Gilliland and investigated by Detective Jesse Gutierrez and Detective Chris Porter of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Don Gallian, (559)733-6411.