Santa Rosa Man Receives Maximum Prison Sentence For Sexual Assault

Defendant Stephen Ledua Maffy, 46 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced Friday by the Honorable Judge Jennifer Dollard to 12 years state prison, the maximum available sentence for his crimes.  Earlier this year, a jury found the defendant guilty of 2 counts of Oral Copulation of an Intoxicated Person; one count of Sexual Penetration by a Foreign Object of an Intoxicated Person; and a misdemeanor count of Sexual Battery.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “This defendant preyed upon the victim, and took advantage of her at a time when she was completely vulnerable.  The sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of the conduct.”

The charges stemmed from an incident in March of 2017.  The defendant had beers and lunch at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma with the victim, “Jane Doe”, and her friends after a rowing practice.  Ms. Doe had recently joined the rowing club with her two friends who were all present on this date.  The defendant left the restaurant with the others and went to the nearby home of Jane Doe’s friend to make a meal.  Soon after arriving, Jane Doe fell asleep in her friend’s upstairs bedroom while the meal preparation continued downstairs. The defendant was discovered in the process of sexually assaulting Jane Doe shortly thereafter and was captured on video from a cellular telephone.  Jane Doe testified at trial that she had looked up to the defendant as an elder to be respected in the local Fijian community, a cultural community which they shared.

Ms. Doe addressed the defendant at sentencing on Friday, noting that her “…biggest triumph will be that no one else will have to wake up every day learning to be comfortable with the scars that you have left.”  Probation had recommended the midterm sentence of 10 years prison, but Judge Dollard agreed with Prosecutor Jane Murray that the aggravated term of 12 years state prison was appropriate.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jane Murray assisted by District Attorney Investigator Robyn Katz and Detective Walter Spiller of the Petaluma Police Department headed the investigation.