A Ramona music teacher who molested two young sisters who lived down the street from him was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in prison. Mark Lewis Kinney, 48, was convicted last month of five counts of committing a lewd act on a child, one count of possession of child pornography, two counts of using a minor in obscene matter and an allegation that he molested more than one victim.
Jurors acquitted Kinney of molesting a third sister, said Deputy District Attorney Chantal De Mauregne. The prosecutor told El Cajon Judge Allan Preckel that Kinney had been convicted of a prior sex offense with a minor in 1984, for which he was placed on probation and given psychological treatment.
"This (the current case) was not a one-time situation," De Mauregne told the judge. "This was not a fluke." She said Kinney groomed the victims over a long period of time -- from 2003 to 2009 -- and videotaped one of them doing a lewd act to herself. Kinney told the girls -- now ages 10 to 12 -- not to tell anybody what happened, the prosecutor said.
She unsuccessfully argued that Kinney should get 30 years to life behind bars -- 15-to-life for each victim. The victims' parents -- who are related to Kinney through marriage -- asked Preckel in a letter to be lenient with the defendant. "It is common, especially when the perpetrator is someone that's very close to the family," De Mauregne said outside court. Preckel said 15 years to life in prison was a fair sentence, considering Kinney's conduct.
"Fifteen years to life, in the court's view, is not a lenient sentence," the judge said. As a minimum, Kinney will have to serve 15 years behind bars before he's eligible for parole, Preckel said. The oldest sister testified that Kinney molested her when she was 9. Kinney, a pianist and drummer, gave private music lessons throughout San Diego County. He was arrested in December 2009.
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