In re A.C. CA6

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Appellant and S.C. (mother) are the parents of A.C., who was born in December 2011.2 In January 2012, the Department of Family and Children’s Services (Department) filed a juvenile dependency petition alleging that A.C. came within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under section 300, subdivisions (b) and (j). The petition alleged that A.C. was at substantial risk of serious physical harm due to appellant’s physical and sexual abuse of A.C.’s half siblings and the mother’s inability to adequately protect him. The petition included allegations that: (1) there was domestic violence between the parents, (2) appellant had been arrested after A.C.’s half sisters, 16-year-old Deborah and 17-year-old Lydia, accused him of having sexual intercourse and oral sex with them on multiple occasions and threatening them with physical harm if they disclosed the abuse, (3) appellant’s parental rights to A.C.’s half sibling, Stephen, were terminated based on physical abuse by appellant and domestic violence between appellant and Stephen’s mother, (4) appellant physically abused A.C.’s half sibling, Gabriel, when he was an infant, (5) appellant had a…