A Calabasas man has been sentenced to 63 years to life in state prison for the molestation of two children over more than a decade in Ventura County. According to a press release by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, Micah Lanere Smith, 47, faced a jury and received his conviction on January 24, 2025, which resulted in the recent lengthy sentence handed down on Thursday.
Smith's crimes began when the victims were just 6 and 9 years old, carrying on until 2017 with the abuse said to have taken place at residences in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks, starting not long after Smith triumphed in gaining the trust of those who should have been under his protective watch, he committed atrocious acts of molestation and fear. The case surfaced following a domestic violence incident involving Smith in early 2019, which led to an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
The jury found Smith guilty of two counts of lewd acts upon a child, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and two counts of sexual penetration with force or fear, as well as special allegations for crimes against multiple victims and the abuse of a position of trust, as detailed by KTLA. Senior Deputy District Attorney Edward "Ted" Andrews of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
In a statement obtained by KTLA, Andrews highlighted the traumatic betrayal Smith enacted against the young victims who he was supposed to care for, "The victims suffered years of abuse during their childhoods. The defendant, entrusted with their care, instead betrayed them through physical and sexual abuse." It was also said that, "I hope this sentence assures the victims that he cannot molest others in the future and provides the victims a chance to begin healing." Notably, the prosecution commended the victims' bravery for their fortitude in coming forward and their courage in testifying against Smith.
