North County babysitter sentenced to life for sexually abusing autistic children
Video above by Nexstar Media Wire explains resources for crime victims
Brittney Lyon, 31, pleaded guilty in May to multiple counts of child sexual abuse, including two count of lewd acts upon a child and two counts of forcible lewd acts. She also admitted to allegations of kidnapping, residential burglary, and sexually assaulting multiple victims.
According to prosecutors, Lyon and her boyfriend, Samuel Cabrera, targeted at least for young girls—two of whom were just 3 years old and two others that were 7. Two of the victims had autism, and one of them was non-verbal.
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Cabrera was convicted by a jury in 2019 and is currently serving eight life terms without the possibility of parole.
'Today's just sentence ends a despicable chapter that has destroyed innocence and devastated families in San Diego County,' said District Attorney Stephan. 'This defendant was ruthless in posing as a trustworthy babysitter and recruiting autistic children, only to commit the most atrocious acts upon them.'
The abuse came to light in 2016 when one of the victims, a 7-year-old girl, told her mother she no longer wanted to be alone with Lyon. Her disclosure led to an investigation that uncovered hundreds of disturbing videos on computer hard drives found in Cabrera's possession after a police chase. According to the DA's Office, the footage documented brutal acts and abuse carried out by Lyon and Cabrera, with the children being drugged and assaulted.
Law enforcement also discovered dozens of secretly recorded videos taken by Lyon in dressing rooms, bathrooms and locker rooms at various North County businesses, prompting investigators to seek help from the public to identify potential victims.
Authorities say Lyon advertised her babysitting services on a website, specifically marketing herself as someone who wanted to work with special-needs children. Communications between her and Cabrera revealed that they regularly coordinated access to children, with Lyon either transporting them to Cabrera's home or allowing him access while babysitting in her own or the victims' homes.
While Lyon was sentenced to more than a century in prison, under California's current elderly parole laws, she could be eligible to petition for release at age 50—after serving only 28 years. That possibility has sparked criticism from officials and lawmakers, who are now pushing legislation to close the so-called 'elder parole loophole' for violent sex offenders.
Senate Bill 286, co-sponsored by DA Stephan and authored by Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-Santee), would exclude individuals convicted of crimes like Lyon's from qualifying for elderly parole. The bill is currently stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee, the DA's Office stating that it likely won't make it to a floor vote this legislative session.
'Now, it's time for the state to do its job and honor that sentence for the sake of the victims,' Sen. Jones said. 'Shamefully, a loophole in California law could allow Lyon to walk free after serving less than a third of her sentence. Senate Bill 286 would close that loophole and ensure violent child rapists serve their full sentences.'
A companion bill in the Assembly, AB 47, authored by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove), is also stuck in committee.
'Our goal in supporting these bills is to safeguard the just sentences that violent sex offenders and murderers are given by the courts after they committed some of the most heinous offenses and stop them from being released back into the community with plenty of opportunity to reoffend,' Stephan continued. 'The victims, their families and the safety of all children in California need to be the priority, not Ms. Lyon and other violent child molesters like her.'
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond plans to introduce a board letter supporting both bills at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 26, per the DA's Office.
'This is a critical step in protecting the safety of our communities, particularly our most vulnerable populations,' Desmond said. 'Allowing individuals convicted of violent sex offenses to be considered for early release undermines the trust and security of the public, and we cannot allow that to happen.'
Editor's note:
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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