Mother of one of Shaun Harrison's previous victims speaks to KSBY News

Posted: May 26, 2011 6:24 PM by Danielle Lerner
Updated: May 26, 2011 10:48 PM

The local man accused of sexually victimizing three teenage girls has a criminal past that reaches back to 2005.

Shaun Harrison, 25, was arrested on April 6 for violating terms of his parole. During their investigation officers found he used social networking sites to sexually victimize three girls between the ages of 13 and 17. Paso Robles police are now asking the public for help to see if there are any more victims they need to talk to.

A local mother who is staying anonymous to protect her daughter's identity, describes the night back in 2005 when Shaun Harrison tried to lure her then 9-year-old daughter out of their Atascadero apartment.

"He tried to get her to open the bedroom window, then he tried to get her to go out the front door and she wouldn't do it, and that's when she came and woke me up, I could see the look of terror," the girl's mom said.

Nine months later, in 2006, Harrison was just 20 years old when a San Luis Obispo County judge sentenced him to four-and-a-half years in state prison in connection with a series of prowling calls at the Bordeaux House Apartments in Atascadero.

Residents there reported seeing a man going door to door, knocking on windows, trying to lure young girls from their apartments. In one case he opened the screen door, reached in and touched a 7-year-old girl's face while she slept.

Harrison faced eight charges, including child molestation, attempted kidnapping and prowling. He pled no contest to burglary and committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. On sentencing day, Deputy District Attorney Charlie Blair told KSBY News the sentence could have been much harsher. Blair asked the judge for a 7 year, 4 month sentence.

"The law provides that in that situation a sentence of 25 years to life would be an appropriate sentence," Blair said. "So, great deference was given to Mr. Harrison given his youth."

"I didn't think it was long enough," the victim's mother said. "If he would have gotten a longer sentence this wouldn't happen."

As for what Harrison could face now, the Paso Robles police department says it has filed charges with the district attorney's office. They include unlawful sex acts with a minor, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, and annoying or molesting a child.

So far the Paso Robles police department says it has not received calls from any more victims, but they still ask anyone with information to contact them.