P.

BACKGROUND

Defendant committed the sexual offenses in this case against his stepdaughter, E. He entered the child’s life just after her ninth birthday, when he rekindled a romantic relationship with E.’s mother that they previously had in high school. A few months later, they moved into an apartment in Vacaville. E.’s mother gave birth to twin daughters just before E. turned 10 years old. When E. was 12 years old, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away about seven months later. E. was 13 years old. E. became depressed after her mother died. Defendant coped with the mother’s passing by abusing alcohol and drugs, particularly cocaine. About a month after the

2 mother died, one of defendant’s friends moved into the apartment. As E. described it, defendant and his friend would party together. Defendant “stopped acting like a dad” around that time. On one occasion, defendant offered cocaine to E., saying it would make her more energetic. He showed her how to snort the substance, which she did. Defendant also began making sexual comments about E.’s body and told her that having sex might make her stronger. Around the same time, on two occasions, he invited her into his…