Twain Harte man gets 18 years in prison for sex crimes
A Twain Harte man, a state-licensed registered nurse who used to work at Adventist Health Sonora, was sentenced to 18 years in state prison on Friday after pleading guilty to multiple felony counts of continuous sexual abuse and committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14.
Keith Aaron Eaton, 41, formerly of Cedar Pines Avenue, has been locked up since his arrest in August and came to Tuolumne County Superior Court on Friday in the custody of armed jailers.
Eaton wore black-andwhite striped jail togs, his wrists were bound to waist chains, his short, dark hair was growing back from a recent buzz cut, and he wore a light blue-and-white mask over his nose and mouth.
District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke told Presiding Judge Kevin Seibert that the mother of the confidential victim had submitted a letter, which Seibert acknowledged but did not read aloud.
Seibert told Eaton the terms of his plea agreement showed he has pleaded guilty to five counts of a 15-count amended complaint that was filed Nov. 18.
The first count alleges that Eaton committed continuous sexual abuse between Aug. 1 and Oct. 30 last year by engaging in three or more acts of substantial sexual conduct defined as lewd and lascivious acts on the child victim, identified in court hearings and public documents as Jane Doe, while he had recurring access to the child.
Count 2 alleges Eaton
did the same between Dec. 1 last year and Feb. 28 this year. Count 3 alleges Eaton repeated the offenses again between April 1 and Aug. 9 this year.
Counts 7 and 11 allege that, during the months of November last year and March this year, Eaton committed lewd and lascivious acts on the same victim.
All the crimes Eaton pleaded guilty to occurred in Tuolumne County.
Seibert also asked about a firearm relinquishment report signed by Eaton, as well as a letter from one of the confidential victim’s grandparents that was contained in Eaton’s probation report.
Eaton is expected to submit blood for an AIDS test once he gets to state prison. He is also expected to pay a $5,400 restitution fine, serve 18 years in prison with 133 days incarceration credit and probation denied, Seibert said.
Eaton will also have to register with law enforcement as a sex offender within five days of getting out of prison.
When Eaton was arrested Aug. 11 by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, he was accused of multiple sex crimes with a child younger than 10. He was also employed by Adventist Health Sonora, though a hospital spokeswoman said at the time of his arrest that he was not on a schedule to work.
Eaton turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office at Dambacher Detention Center, the new county jail near the new Justice Center courthouse southeast of downtown Sonora, where he was booked on five felony charges listed as continuous sexual abuse of a child; oral copulation or sexual penetration of the child 10 years or younger; sodomy: penetration; act in concert: sex perversion; and aggravated sexual assault with a minor.
Eaton had a bail hearing and arraignment on Aug. 12; followed by further arraignment Aug. 27 and Oct. 8. He initially pleaded not guilty on Oct. 8 and had a court date to schedule a preliminary hearing continued on Nov. 5, before pleading guilty on Nov. 18.
At the time of Eaton’s arrest, the California Board of Registered Nursing website showed Eaton had a current license issued in February 2015 and set to expire May 31, 2022. There were no records of any disciplinary actions noted, no court orders, and no public letters of reprimand associated with his nursing license.
On Friday, the agency’s website showed a suspension/restriction order against Eaton’s license that was posted online Nov. 2.
The Tuolumne County Superior Court order prohibits Eaton from using his license as a registered nurse in California and Idaho during criminal proceedings in the child sex case brought against him by the Tuolumne County District Attorney’s Office.
“This Order shall continue in effect until the criminal proceedings terminate and during any probation term, and until the anticipated administrative matter against Mr. Eaton by the Board of Registered Nursing is resolved,” the court order states. It was filed Sept. 24 and signed by Eaton, his attorney Clint Parish, and visiting Superior Court Judge Frank Dougherty.
The court order also named Loretta Melby, RN, MSN, executive officer, Board of Registered Nursing, Department of Consumer Affairs, State of California, as applicant.