Hanna Boys Center Caseworker Pleads No-Contest in Child Sex Assault Case

Defendant Kevin Scott Thorpe, 40-years-old of Rohnert Park, pled no-contest and was found guilty today by the Honorable Dana Simonds of eleven sex offenses committed against four separate victims.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “This disposition will guarantee a lengthy prison term for this sexual predator followed by a lifetime registration as a sex offender. We hope the resolution of this case will bring some closure to the victims.”

This case stems from an investigation that was prompted when a former student at the Hanna Boys Center came forward and disclosed sexual abuse committed by Thorpe, the student’s assigned caseworker at the school. The Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation that corroborated the former student’s account, and led to the discovery of additional victims as well. After Thorpe was charged, three adult men and one juvenile victim testified at a preliminary hearing in May 2018. During the hearing, the three men described being victimized by Thorpe during their teens while Thorpe was their caseworker at the Hanna Boys Center. The fourth victim was called as a witness, but had difficulty discussing his interactions with Thorpe. The lead detective in the case later testified at the hearing about what that victim had previously reported. Following the three day hearing, Thorpe was held to answer to numerous sex offenses committed against each of the victims while they were children.

Following the hearing, Thorpe reached a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in which he pled no-contest and was found guilty of five counts of unlawful oral copulation accomplished by duress, five counts of unlawful oral copulation with a minor, and one count or annoying or molesting a child. Five of those convictions are “strikes” under California’s three strikes law. Per the terms of the plea agreement, Thorpe will be sentenced to 21 years in state prison. Thorpe will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Penal Code section 290 upon his release. He will also be subject to consideration for a civil commitment as a sexually violent predator at the completion of his prison term.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lukas. Sergeant Greg Piccinini of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department headed the investigation.