Nanny gets 20 years in abuse

By COLLEEN JENKINS, Times Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Charity Sato pleaded guilty to four instances of lewd and lascivious behavior. She will be sentenced on Oct. 16 to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.

TAMPA - Charity Sato had worked as a family's live-in babysitter for just two weeks when disturbing details about her behavior came to light.

A family friend thought some kids in a Riverview apartment complex were stealing his cigarettes. He tried to trick a 13-year-old girl into confessing by saying he had caught the act on video.

She denied it, but said something that shocked him more: "Well, then you know Miss Charity has been having sex with us."

On Thursday, Sato pleaded guilty to four instances of lewd and lascivious behavior. She will be sentenced Oct. 16 to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.

Sato, jailed since her June 2005 arrest, could have faced up to 60 years in prison if found guilty at trial.

She was 20 when hired in May 2005 to watch a family's children while the parents worked overnight shifts. She lasted 14 days.

During that time, prosecutor Kimberly Hindman said, she plied the children with cigarettes, spiked their drinks with alcohol and engaged in sex acts with them.

Sato admitted the acts to sheriff's detectives.

Hindman said the children now live out of state but will likely send impact statements to the judge before sentencing.

[Last modified September 21, 2007, 00:53:24]