Verdict likely means convict will spend the rest of his life in prison.
By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
A Le Grand man accused of molesting four children will probably spend the rest of his life in prison, after jurors found him guilty on 10 felony counts of child molestation on Monday.
George Allen Leavitt leaned back in his chair and bowed his head as a court clerk read the jury's verdict on charges ranging from lewd and lascivious conduct with children under 14 and oral copulation.
Leavitt was also found guilty of witness intimidation, for trying to prevent a fifth child from testifying against him in court.
The mother of one of the victims wept in court and cried out "Yes!" while hearing the verdict. Meanwhile, Leavitt's friends and family members sat silently, stunned by the decision. The jury was composed of three men and nine women.
With the jury's verdict, the 33-year-old farmer and truck driver faces a maximum of 137 years in prison. Leavitt must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he's eligible for parole, which means he'll probably die behind bars.
Deputy District Attorney David Sandhaus said the prosecution had offered Leavitt a plea deal of 12 years in prison before the trial, but the defendant declined. "We gave him every opportunity to spare the kids the trauma of a trial," Sandhaus said. "He never showed any compassion for these kids."
Leavitt, a convicted sex offender, had previously had an illicit relationship with a 13-year-old girl in 2007 and 2008. In that case, he pleaded no-contest in July 2008 to a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child. He was sentenced to six months in jail and was required to register as a sex offender.
After the plea agreement was reached, however, four children came forward, saying they were molested by Leavitt. The four additional victims, two boys, ages 13 and 10, and two girls, ages 11 and 6, came forward with allegations after an article about Leavitt's plea agreement in the first case ran in the Sun-Star last year.
In addition, the girl who allegedly had a relationship with Leavitt, said he'd asked her to lie before a preliminary hearing in the case last year. Sandhaus said Leavitt persuaded the girl to change her story before the case went to trial, resulting in the plea deal.
Leavitt's friends and family members, however, maintained that he's an innocent man in a case based on lies and threats of extortion. For example, defense attorney Jeffrey Tenenbaum argued during the trial that a father of one of the victims asked Leavitt for $15,000 -- saying he'd go to law enforcement with the child molestation allegations if Leavitt didn't pay the money.
Tenenbaum also said some of the charges were trumped up as a result of a rocky relationship Leavitt had with one of his girlfriends.
Stacy Leavitt-Hullana, the defendant's sister, said jurors didn't hear evidence that she believes would exonerate her brother. Leavitt-Hullana said the victims and their families conspired against her brother. "These people lied," Leavitt-Hullana said. "These people destroyed our family."
Jeanne Hullana, the mother-in-law of Leavitt's sister, shook her head in disbelief after hearing the verdicts. "It's just not right," she said. "There is so much stuff that didn't even come out. I don't know if the jury was even listening."
Jurors in the case, however, said the victims gave testimony that was credible. One male juror, who declined to give his name, said although some of the children appeared confused during the trial, they were extremely believable. "Just because he was found guilty does not take away what all these kids went through," the juror said.
Leavitt is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 9.
Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
Copied with permission from the Merced Sun-Star.
