COLUSA, CA (MPG) – A jury last week found former Grimes resident, Phillip Jeffords Andreotti, guilty of multiple felony sex crimes that could keep him behind bars for 25 years to life.
Andreotti, 47, of Ocean Park, Wash., was convicted on Dec. 8 of one felony count of continuous sexual abuse of a child and three additional counts of lewd
and lascivious conduct with a child, following a four-day trial in Colusa County
Superior Court, in Colusa, with Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson presiding.
According to Special Prosecutor Matthew R. Beauchamp, who tried the
case for the Colusa County District Attorney’s Office, testimony came from
Andreotti’s victims, as well as multiple experts, who were called as witnesses by both the prosecution and the defense.
Andreotti had been under investigation since 2021 for sex crimes against two girls, who were ages 8 and 11 when the abuse began with the youngest child,
nearly two decades ago.
Andreotti abused the two children over a period of several years but preyed
largely on the youngest child through conditioning and normalizing the
behavior, according to testimony.
Andreotti was arrested on a warrant at his Washington home on Aug. 26, 2022, and returned to California after his victims came forward when they were older.
At trial, Dr. Anna Washington, a professor at Alliant International University,
a practicing psychologist and published author, testified as an expert on how children react to child sexual abuse and how they can, and do, accommodate abuse.
Don Siggins Ed.D, testified for the defense, claiming tests he gave Andreotti
established that he did not currently exhibit sexual deviancies.
“In the final analysis, the People’s case focused on the credibility of the
victims,” Beauchamp said. “Their testimony regarding the abuse they suffered at the hands of the defendant was compelling.”
Andreotti will be sentenced Jan. 17, 2024.
In addition to being subject to sentencing on the four felony criminal
convictions, Andreotti will also be exposed to a sentencing enhancement
for committing crimes against more than one victim.
Andreotti has remained in jail since his 2022 arrest on $1 million bail.