SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on January 4 that on December 12, 2023 62-yerar-old Michael David Paulsen of Lockwood, pled guilty
to 3 counts of Penal Code section 288(b)(1), for committing forcible lewd acts upon a child
under 14 years of age. Judge Rafael Vazquez will sentence Paulsen on February 13, 2024 to a
stipulated sentence of 30 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. All
3 counts are violent felonies and are considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law.
In addition to his prison sentence, Paulsen will be ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
Paulsen sexually molested a relative who was under 14 years of age beginning in
1995. He sexually assaulted her when nobody else was present and would often abuse her in a
vehicle so that he could have privacy and she could not escape. He sexually abused the victim for
years. The victim courageously came forward to report the abuse when she was an adult. According
to research into sexual assault victim behavior, it is very common for victims to delay reporting the
sexual abuse, especially when the victim is a minor and has a close relationship with the perpetrator.
Paulsen admitted molesting the victim when he spoke with detectives from the Monterey County
Sheriff’s Office.
Monterey County Sheriff’s Detective David Gonzalez investigated the case. The victim was
assisted by Victim Advocate Mayra Sandoval from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
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