Additional sentencing includes lifetime sex offender registration for sexual abuse of four minors

SAN MIGUEL — District Attorney Dan Dow announced that David Avis Vance of San Miguel was sentenced to 30 years in state prison for sexually abusing four minors.

District Attorney Dan Dow announced that San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Jacquelyn Duffy has sentenced David Avis Vance (57) of San Miguel to serve 30-years in state prison for his conviction on twelve felony counts of committing lewd acts on a child, involving four separate victims. 

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Vance was convicted based on his June 20 plea of no contest. 

The crimes occurred between January 1995 and October 2019 and involved four separate victims ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old at the time of the abuse.

“Sexual crimes against children are devastating to the victims, especially when a predatory adult betrays their position of trust over the victim,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Sexual predators must receive strong punishment to reflect the longstanding pain and suffering their acts inflict on innocent children and to deter others from committing similar horrible crimes. We are grateful for the courage these young survivors displayed by reporting the abuse and assisting in the legal process necessary to hold this predator accountable.”

At the sentencing hearing, several victims provided statements to the court describing the impact of Vance’s crimes. The mother of two of the young survivors described them as “heroes” for having the courage necessary to report the abuse. Judge Jacquelyn Duffy likewise expressed admiration for the young victims’ courage through the process.  

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Melissa Chabra and was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office with the aid of the District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation.

A copy of the charging document can be found here, and a copy of the defendant’s booking photo can be found here.