Santa Clarita woman gets 5 years probation for lewd acts upon a child under 13

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Santa Clarita woman accused of engaging in lewd acts with at least 10 children received five years felony probation for the crimes during a court hearing Friday.

Jacqueline Wadsworth, 32, pleaded no contest to one charge of lewd acts upon a child under 13 during her hearing. She received the felony probation and must register as a sex offender, take 52 weeks of a sexual compulsion program, provide an HIV and DNA sample, and cannot contact the victims.

Wadsworth was arrested in March along with her boyfriend Francisco Avendano, 42. During the court hearing Friday, Avendano did not show up for medical reasons. He has pleaded no contest to molesting several children across the Santa Clarita Valley and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

Authorities said the couple targeted mostly neighborhood kids, grooming them and their parents to gain their trust.

The victims' ages range from 3 to 17 years old. Some of the alleged sexual abuse took place at a mobile home park in the 30000 block of Sand Canyon Road in Canyon Country, sheriff's deputies said, but the couple moved several times.

Investigators say they also lived in Castaic and Newhall, where they were arrested two weeks ago. Their most recent home in Newhall was located across the street from an elementary school.

An organization called Bikers Against Child Abuse is helping three of the victims recover.

Authorities asked the public for help to find any additional victims.