LOCKWOOD — Lockwood resident Michael David Paulsen pleaded guilty to three counts of committing forcible lewd acts upon a child under 14 years of age.
Monterey County Judge Rafael Vazquez will sentence Paulsen, 62, on Feb. 13 to a stipulated sentence of 30 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. All three counts are violent felonies and are considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law.
In addition to his prison sentence, Paulsen will be ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, Paulsen sexually molested a relative who was under 14 years of age beginning in approximately 1995.
“He sexually assaulted her when nobody else was present and would often abuse her in a vehicle so that he could have privacy and she could not escape,” stated the DA’s Office in a Jan. 4 news release. “He sexually abused the victim for years.”
The victim came forward to report the abuse when she was an adult.
“According to research into sexual assault victim behavior, it is very common for victims to delay reporting the sexual abuse, especially when the victim is a minor and has a close relationship with the perpetrator,” the DA’s Office stated.
Paulsen admitted molesting the victim when he spoke with detectives from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.
