People v. Hancock CA3

BACKGROUND

Hancock was charged with multiple sex offenses against J.D. and H.D., including four counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act on J.D., a 14-year-old child at least 10 years younger than him (§ 288, subd. (c)(1); counts one through four); contacting or communicating with a minor, J.D., with the intent to commit a number of target sex offenses, including a violation of section 288.3, subdivision (a) (§ 288.3, subd. (a); count five); possession of child pornography (§ 311.11, subd. (a); count six); annoying or molesting H.D., a child under the age of 18 (§ 647.6, subd. (a); count seven); and committing a lewd and lascivious act on H.D., a 14-year-old child at least 10 years younger than him (§ 288, subd. (c)(1); count eight). Counts one through six were alleged to have occurred on or about and between October 1, 2020, and April 7, 2021. According to evidence adduced at trial, J.D.’s mother would not allow J.D. to download Snapchat, a social media messaging application, on her cell phone. Hancock had his own Snapchat account and would let J.D. use it to send text messages and nude pictures of herself to her boyfriend. Hancock offered to let J.D. store naked pictures…