A mother's lament: California should eliminate the cutoff time to file charges against sex abusers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For Deanna Hampton, last week was all about confronting the past and the legacy of rampant sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and trying to ensure that families don’t suffer in the future.

It’s a deeply personal issue for Hampton. Last fall, The Sacramento Bee told the story of her son, Trevor Martin, who was serially abused by priest Michael Kelly in Calaveras County.

Rather than face a criminal trial, Kelly fled to Ireland. Despite having a warrant issued by Sacramento’s U.S. Attorney for unlawful flight, Kelly traveled to Morocco and Mexico – known sex trafficking destinations. Kelly also led at least one tour of Ireland for members of a group of followers from California called “Friends of Father Kelly,” according to depositions.

On Wednesday, Hampton sent a letter to State Attorney General Rob Bonta accusing California’s highest law enforcement official of failing to review adequately a decision by Calaveras County District Attorney to drop charges against Kelly when her son died in an accident in 2016.

Last Tuesday, Hampton testified before the California Assembly Public Safety Committee for a bill sponsored by Dawn Addis, D-San Luis Obispo, that would eliminate the statute of limitations for some sex crimes.

Assembly Bill 2295 would ultimately eliminate the statute of limitations for those who were sexually abused as children in California. Current law has a cutoff for criminal prosecution after an alleged victim reaches 40. The proposed law would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and only apply to cases where the statute of limitations had not expired.

In a bill fact sheet Addis says “because trauma affects survivors in a way that causes them to delay disclosure of their abuse until they are older, most survivors miss the deadline to seek justice. According to Child USA, the average age of individuals at the time of reporting child sex abuse is about 52 years old. It is an unacceptable tragedy that victims of abuse are unable to hold their abuser accountable simply because the law arbitrarily says their time to report has run out.”

Hampton told The Bee her pain would have been eased if other victims of Father Kelly could bring criminal complaints, including Travis Trotter, a former Air Force combat and Southwest Airline pilot. He won a civil suit in 2012.

Another alleged victim filed a lawsuit in 2022 accusing Kelly of abusing him in his capacity as a referee in a youth soccer league. Kelly helped found the Modesto Youth Soccer Association in the 1970’s. The complaint alleges that in 1979, Kelly abused the youth multiple times, leading to lifelong “anxiety, depression, flashbacks, sleep issues, suicidal ideations, anger, and loss of faith.”

Hampton said their cases should have been heard in criminal courts.

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