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# Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-sentences-central-district-of-california/
- Published: 2026-11-04T10:36:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T10:36:52.000Z
- Description: The median prison term for sexual abuse offenses in the Central District of California was 180 months (15 years), the same as for all 94 districts. Of the 124 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 119 (96%) received prison, and 5 received a life sentence. A mandatory minimum applied to 97 p
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-california/) › Sexual Abuse: Central District of California

**In brief:** The median prison term for sexual abuse offenses in the Central District of California was 180 months (15 years), the same as for all 94 districts. Of the 124 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 119 (96%) received prison, and 5 received a life sentence. A mandatory minimum applied to 97 people (78%).

Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 124 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Long Prison Terms

The U.S. Sentencing Commission recorded 119 of 124 people (96%) with a prison term. One person (less than 1%) received probation only. The median prison term was 180 months. A quarter received 264 months or more, and a quarter received 120 months or less. In addition, 5 people received a life sentence.

For all districts, more than 99% of 12,095 people were sent to prison, and the median was 180 months. For all offenses in this district, the median was 37 months. These are terms imposed, not time served.

## Mandatory Minimums and Supervised Release

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 97 of the 124 people (78%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 117 people (94%), with a median term of 120 months. Supervised release for life was ordered for 68 people (55%).

A fine was ordered for 6 people (5%), and restitution for 62 (50%).

## Which Guidelines Were Used

"Sexual Abuse" is the Commission's offense category. The most common primary guideline was §2G2.1 (Sexually Exploiting a Minor by Production of Sexually Explicit Visual or Printed Material), with 72 people. Next was §2G1.3 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with a Minor) with 40.

Smaller numbers were sentenced under §2A3.4 (Abusive Sexual Contact or Attempt to Commit Abusive Sexual Contact) with 6, and §2A3.1 (Criminal Sexual Abuse) with 4\. These cases were 1% of the 9,958 people sentenced in the district.

## Pleas and Trials

Guilty pleas accounted for 106 of 124 cases (85%), and 18 people were convicted after a trial. The share was 90% for all districts and 95% for all offenses in this district.

The median prison term was 180 months after a guilty plea and 264 months after a trial, based on 17 people at trial. Among the guilty pleas, 93% had a written plea agreement and 7% were straight pleas.

## Position Against the Guideline Range

The guideline range is calculated under the federal Sentencing Guidelines. Of 124 people, 37% (46) were sentenced within the range. Another 33% (41) were below it at the government's request, and 25% (31) were below it without a government request. Above the range were 5% (6).

The within-range share was 41% for all districts and 29% for all offenses in this district. On criminal history, 73% were in the lowest category and 2% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Counts and Medians by Fiscal Year

The district sentenced 38 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 86 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through the end of September.

Yearly counts in the table range from 4 in 2020 to 23 in 2022\. Yearly medians range from 87 months to 296 months. In years with 4 or 6 people, a median describes very few cases. The records show no trend.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 13               | 151 months    | 62%            |
| 2017        | 10               | 170 months    | 90%            |
| 2018        | 6                | 120 months    | 6 of 6         |
| 2019        | 9                | 87 months     | 8 of 9         |
| 2020        | 4                | 195 months    | 4 of 4         |
| 2021        | 6                | 296 months    | 6 of 6         |
| 2022        | 23               | 180 months    | 91%            |
| 2023        | 15               | 199 months    | 87%            |
| 2024        | 17               | 174 months    | 76%            |
| 2025        | 21               | 240 months    | 86%            |

## What the Records Cannot Show

Only people who were convicted and sentenced are counted. Acquittals and dismissals are not included, and the facts of each case are not described.

Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court. These figures are federal only.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Central District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California Central") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Sexual Abuse" (124). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.

**Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.

**Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.

**Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-california/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.