Oroville mother arrested on suspicion of allowing her children to be sexually abused

Butte County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a mother Monday on the suspicion that she allowed men to sexually abuse three of her children.

A 33-year-old mother of five was arrested after detectives said they found evidence to suggest she was present on multiple occasions when two different men sexually abused her children, according to a release from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. The mother’s name is withheld because The Bee does not identify the victims of abuse.

The woman was booked into the Butte County Jail on three felony counts of making a child available for lewd and lascivious acts to be committed on a child, three felony counts of child endangerment, one felony county of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, and two felony counts of continuous sexual abuse on a child.

All five of her children were taken under the custody of the Butte County Children’s Services Division. She will be arraigned Wednesday at the Butte County Superior Court at 3 p.m. Her bail was set at $825,000.

The mother’s arrest followed last week’s arrests of two Oroville men charged with sexually abusing her three children over an “extended period of time.” All three children are under the age of 10.

The string of arrests began on after detectives from the Sheriff’s Office began to investigate Joshua Chadwick, age 39, who was on probation as a registered sex offender, on suspicion of violating the woman’s children.

Last Wednesday, Sheriff’s deputies detained Chadwick at his Oroville home on eight counts of lewd and lascivious acts towards children after deputies found multiple images of child pornography on a device at Chadwick’s home.

The same day, detectives searched the house of 38-year-old David Acuff on a warrant after uncovering evidence that suggested Acuff was an accomplice of Chadwick’s during their investigation. According to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, Acuff was already under investigation by the Oroville Police Department. On Thursday, Sheriff’s deputies located and arrested Acuff.

Chadwick was arrested on eight counts of lewd and lascivious acts with children and for violating the conditions of his probation.

Acuff was arrested on two counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child, one felony count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one felony count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

Chadwick and Acuff were arraigned on all charges Monday at the Butte County Superior Court. Neither is eligible for bail until future court proceedings take place.

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 3:29 PM.