Child Sex Offender Gets Consecutive Sentences

COLUSA, CA (MPG) – At age 47, a convicted child sex offender could be an old man when he gets out of state prison, if he ever gets out at all.

Colusa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Thomson, on Feb. 14, sentenced Phillip Jeffords Andreotti, formerly of Grimes, to three consecutive terms of 15 years to life for the continuous sexual abuse of two girls inside his home more than a decade ago.

The victims’ family sat in the front row of the courtroom, behind Special Prosecutor Matthew R. Beauchamp, softly cheering Andreotti’s punishment on each conviction for lewd acts committed upon a child, the continuous sexual abuse of a child, and the special enhancement under California’s “one strike” law for having more than one victim.

Beauchamp said Andreotti has never shown remorse for his actions and has not taken responsibility for his crimes, instead blaming them at trial on methamphetamine and alcohol, which Andreotti admitted he was addicted to at the time he abused the children.

Andreotti had been under investigation since 2021 for sex crimes against the two girls when they were just 8 and 11. He was living in Ocean Park, Wash. when he was arrested Aug. 26, 2022, and returned to California, after his victims came forward as adults.

Following his trial, several jurors said they admired the incredible bravery of the two young women but were left shaken and suffering from profound psychological effects after hearing the horrific details of their abuse, which included coerced sexual intercourse.

According to Beauchamp, Andreotti’s sexual crimes traumatized the two young victims, resulting in their distrust of men, and with one of the girls engaging in self harm to numb the pain.

In her prepared victim impact statement, which was read last week by an advocate from Colusa County Victim Witness Services, the oldest victim, now 24, a married woman who still struggles with intimacy, asked the judge for the maximum sentence possible for her abuser, not only so he can live with the consequences of his actions, but to prevent such abuse from occurring to another child.

As his sentence was handed down, a shackled Andreotti sat quietly behind his attorney and did not speak.

Although three consecutive sentences of 15-years-to-life would typically mean Andreotti would serve 45 years before being eligible for parole, less the 619 days for time already served and earned, California’s sweeping changes toward early prison release means the convicted sex offender could face a parole board much earlier, earning one day “good-time” credit for every two days served, which could potentially reduce his overall sentence by one-third.

Despite protests, lobbying, and lawsuits, California is following through on plans to close nine prisons by 2027, through the early release of prisoners, and to transform others into centers of education and rehabilitation to reduce recidivism, according to the Associated Press.

Public Defender Albert Smith said defense attorneys have been in an uncertain position trying to navigate California’s ever-charging laws when trying to mitigate sentences, especially for clients convicted on sentence enhancements.

“The laws could change next week,” Smith said.

Smith had argued for the possibility of probation for his client because he believed Andreotti’s use of methamphetamine and alcohol was a contributing factor, and that the victims corroborated Andreotti’s severe addition to substances.

At the very least, Smith asked to have Andreotti’s three 15-year-to-life sentences run concurrently.

The judge denied both of those requests because Andreotti “occupied a position of trust” during the time he abused the children, which, under California law, allows for the stacking of sentences, so that each sentence must be served before the next sentence begins.

Although Andreotti will be sent away for a considerable period, Smith said he does have parole to look forward to in the distant future, as Andreotti was deemed by both the court-appointed psychiatrist and the Colusa County Probation Office as someone who is unlikely to commit similar offenses again.

When released, Andreotti will have to register as a sex offender and abide by terms and conditions of parole for a minimum of three years, Thompson said.