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Big Island man convicted on 10 felony child sexual assault counts

MEDIA RELEASE

Prosecuting Attorney Charlene lboshi announced today that Big Island resident Derek M. Cavillis was convicted on July 13, 2012, of sexual assaulting two children over a several year period. The Kona jury returned guilty verdicts on all ten felony child sexual assault counts before it.

According to the evidence presented during the two week trial, the two children had been repeatedly sexually assaulted while they were between the ages of 5 and 8. Deputy Prosecutors Jeffery Burleson and Joyce Seelen presented testimony from the children, from other witnesses and experts, and from police officers.

The children had maintained secrecy for several years before reporting the assaults. They testified to having been pressured and threatened by the defendant to remain silent. An expert witness described to the jury that delayed disclosure of childhood sexual abuse is the norm rather than the exception. The prosecution team also presented evidence that Mr. Cavillis had confessed to police officers before he was arrested and charged with the offenses. Mr. Cavillis later claimed that he had been high on methamphetamine at the time of the confessions, and that the confessions were not accurate.

Mr. Cavillis, currently 39 years old, was convicted of six Class A felonies of Sexual Assault in the First Degree, and four Class C felonies of Sexual Assault in the Third Degree. The difference between the felonies involves the type of sexual act alleged. Each of the Class A felonies carries a mandatory indeterminate prison term of 20 years. Each of the Class C felonies carries a 5 year maximum prison term. Mr. Cavillis, who had been free on bond, was remanded into the custody of the Hawaii Sheriff’s office immediately after the verdict was read. Prior to that, Mr. Cavillis had resided in South Kohala and, more recently, in Kealakekua.

Sentencing is scheduled in Kona Circuit Court for September 10, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. At that time, the court will have the option to run the ten sentences concurrent with or consecutive to each other. The maximum sentence which the defendant faces is 140 years in prison.

One Response to “Big Island man convicted on 10 felony child sexual assault counts”

  1. Raylene says:

    This is from the Wikipedia; So to all of you who have never heard of this you should do your research cause you’ll be the next on the list of falsely accused!!!! And, everyone will be thinking you are like that!!!

    false allegation of child sexual abuse is an accusation that a person committed one or more acts of child sexual abuse when in reality there was no perpetration of abuse by the accused person as alleged. Such accusations can be brought by the alleged victim, or by another person on the alleged victim’s behalf. Studies of child abuse allegations suggest that the overall rate of false accusation is under 10%, as approximated based on multiple studies.[1][2][3][4] Of the allegations determined to be false, only a small portion originated with the child, the studies showed; most false allegations originated with an adult bringing the accusations on behalf of a child, and of those, a large majority occurred in the context of divorce and child-custody battles.[1][5] They may also have occurred when someone was getting back at someone else, if they get rejected for a promotion (for example) or to cover up an affair in cultures that frown on extramarital sex. There is also indication as with other alleged sex offences that the UK system of paying compensation, (quite substantial), can provide a motive for allegations being made.

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