Meet Brittney Mae Lyon: The 'evil' babysitter sentenced to 100 years for sexually abusing children with boyfriend

A California babysitter, Brittney Mae Lyon, 31, has been sentenced to 100 years to life in state prison for sexually abusing young girls in her care, alongside her boyfriend, Samuel Cabrera.

Lyon was arrested in 2016 after one of the victims, just 7 years old at the time, revealed the abuse to her mother. She had advertised herself online as a babysitter with a special interest in caring for children with disabilities, including those with autism. Prosecutors said she exploited that trust to abuse multiple girls between the ages of 3 and 7, some of whom were nonverbal and on the autism spectrum.

In addition to abusing the children herself, Lyon also allowed Cabrera to assault them. Court documents revealed disturbing text messages where Lyon “bartered” access to a child in exchange for dates with Cabrera.


Cabrera was convicted by a jury in 2019 and sentenced in 2021 to eight life terms without parole. Lyon, meanwhile, was sentenced on August 14, 2025. Under California law, she will be eligible to petition for parole at age 50, meaning she could serve as little as 19 years behind bars.

During Thursday’s sentencing, devastated parents of the victims addressed Lyon directly in court. One mother called her the “most sick and evil monster society has”, while another described the betrayal as a wound that “has never healed.”

Deputy District Attorney Jodi Breton emphasized how Lyon’s wholesome image helped her lure parents into trusting her:

“She seemed like the perfect babysitter, the perfect person someone could trust.”

State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones praised the lengthy sentence, saying District Attorney Summer Stephan had secured justice for the victims.

Lyon, through her defense attorney, read an apology letter in court:

“The words ‘I’m sorry’ are far too simple for the amount of trauma I’ve caused. You trusted me to keep your children safe, and instead, I placed them in harm’s way.”

Despite her apology, the victims’ families said their suffering will last a lifetime.