The courtroom in San Diego fell silent on August 14, 2025, as Brittney Mae Lyon, a 31-year-old babysitter once trusted by families seeking care for their special needs children, was sentenced to 100 years in prison for a string of horrific crimes. Lyon, who had advertised her services online with a particular focus on children with special needs, was found guilty of sexually assaulting young girls as young as three and facilitating their abuse by her boyfriend, Samuel Cabrera, also 31. The case, which has shaken California’s legal and caregiving communities, exposed a chilling pattern of betrayal and manipulation that spanned years and left families reeling.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Lyon’s victims included at least four girls, two of whom were diagnosed with autism and one who was non-verbal. The abuse came to light in 2016 when a 7-year-old girl, whose family had long considered Lyon a friend, confided in her mother that she no longer wanted to be cared for by the babysitter. The mother immediately reported her daughter’s disclosure to authorities, sparking a police investigation that would ultimately unravel the full extent of Lyon and Cabrera’s crimes.
As reported by Fox News and NBC San Diego, the investigation quickly led to Cabrera. Following a brief police chase, officers discovered a double-locked box in Cabrera’s car containing six computer hard drives. What they found on those drives was nothing short of harrowing: hundreds of videos documenting the sexual abuse and assault of children, some filmed from multiple angles, and often showing the victims being drugged or otherwise brutalized. The digital evidence also included dozens of videos recorded by Lyon herself, capturing unsuspecting women and girls in public bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms across North County.
Lyon’s method of operation was calculated and predatory. She frequently arranged for Cabrera to access the children she was babysitting, either by inviting him to her home or by bringing the children directly to his residence. Sometimes, she assaulted the children alone; other times, she participated in the acts with Cabrera. Prosecutors revealed that the couple used drugs and other objects to facilitate the abuse. Many families had hired Lyon through reputable online babysitting platforms, drawn in by her stated dedication to working with special needs children—a detail that now haunts the parents who entrusted her with their most vulnerable loved ones.
The legal process for Lyon was protracted. While Cabrera was arrested and swiftly tried, ultimately being convicted by a North County jury in 2019 on 35 felonies—including multiple counts of child molestation, kidnapping, burglary, and conspiracy—Lyon’s case was delayed. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant court backlogs, and Lyon’s change in legal representation further pushed her trial date. Cabrera received eight life terms without parole, plus an additional 300 years, ensuring he will never be released. Lyon, on the other hand, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to two felony counts of a lewd act upon a child and two counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, as well as admitting to kidnapping, residential burglary, and sexually assaulting multiple victims.
At her sentencing, Lyon broke down in tears, according to Metro, as her defense attorney read a statement on her behalf: “For nine years, I’ve thought about what I would say today. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are no words that would make any of the harm and trauma I’ve caused any better. The words ‘I’m sorry’ are far too simple for the amount of trauma I’ve caused and the amount of regret that I feel.”
The parents of the victims also spoke out, expressing their anguish and sense of betrayal. One mother recounted, “She used her credentials from studying child development to lull us into a state of comfort so we didn’t feel like we had to ask a lot of questions about what Brittney did with our daughter when they were together.” Another parent described learning that special outings arranged by Lyon for her daughter were, in truth, “molestation sessions.” The revelations left families devastated and the wider community demanding answers about how such abuses could go undetected for so long.
One aspect of Lyon’s sentencing that has generated particular controversy is her eligibility for parole. Under California’s current elder parole law, inmates who have served at least 20 years and reach the age of 50 can petition for a parole hearing. This means that despite her 100-year sentence, Lyon could apply for parole in as little as 28 years. The mere possibility of her release has caused outrage among victims’ families and lawmakers alike. “It’s a slap in the face to drag us through this field of broken glass for 10 years only to give Brittney a break,” said one mother during the sentencing hearing.
State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones also voiced his concern, stating, “Now, it’s time for the state to do its job and honor that sentence for the sake of the victims. Shamefully, a loophole in California law could allow Lyon to walk free after serving less than a third of her sentence.” In response to mounting public pressure, two bills—Senate Bill 286 and Assembly Bill 47—have been introduced in the California legislature. Both seek to exclude convicted sex offenders from qualifying for elderly or early parole, aiming to close what many see as a dangerous loophole. However, as of now, both bills remain stalled in the appropriations committees of their respective chambers.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan has been a vocal advocate for these legislative changes. In a statement after Lyon’s sentencing, Stephan emphasized the broader implications: “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. The age of 50 is hardly ‘elderly,’ particularly in the realm of child molesters, who need only be in a position of trust and power to access and sexually abuse children.”
Lyon’s attorney, Sloan Ostbye, has argued that parole eligibility simply offers her client “the opportunity to be heard,” stressing that it does not guarantee release. Still, the debate continues, with advocates for stricter sentencing and parole laws urging lawmakers to act swiftly. As of now, families of the victims and the broader public are left to grapple with the aftermath of a case that has exposed deep vulnerabilities in both the caregiving system and the legal protections meant to shield children from harm.
The Lyon and Cabrera case stands as a stark reminder of the trust placed in caregivers—and the devastating consequences when that trust is betrayed. As California debates reforms to its parole laws, the voices of victims’ families ring loudest, demanding that the justice system put the safety of children above all else.