A Lompoc man has pleaded guilty to child sex crimes, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney announced on Wednesday, June 7.
Edward Norman Hill Lewis, 44, from Lompoc was sentenced to eight years in prison on May 23, 2023.
Judge Michael Carrozzo sentenced Hill Lewis after he pled guilty to committing the following crimes: two counts of lewd or lascivious acts upon Jane Doe 1, a child under the age of 14, and one count of lewd or lascivious act upon Jane Doe 2, a child aged 15.
As a result of his pleas, Hill Lewis will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The district attorney said in a press release that the case initially came to light in 2021 when Jane Doe 1, a 17-year-old girl with autism, came forward and disclosed that she had been molested by Hill Lewis since she was 13 years old.
Jane Doe 1's revelation led investigators to identify other survivors who had also been sexually assaulted by Hill Lewis during their underage years, dating back to 1999. However, due to the statute of limitations, charges could only be filed for one additional survivor, identified as Jane Doe 2.
Hill Lewis engaged in sexual acts with Jane Doe 2 when she was 15 years old and manipulated her into sending him explicit photographs of herself.
District Attorney officials say Hill Lewis had gained the trust of both Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 by befriending their mothers, and he was considered a close family friend before perpetrating these heinous acts.
Officials say the outcome achieved in the case would not have been possible without the bravery displayed by all the survivors who came forward.
