Former Central High East employee sentenced to 2 years in prison, must register as sex offender

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Steffan Alberson's attorney said his client is not a predator. He asked the judge for probation, but prosecutors said based the violation of trust, he should be sentenced to at least a few years.

"I'm sorry to the victims and for my actions."

Steffan Alberson was once a trusted student liaison and group home worker. But prosecutors say he used his employment to groom his teenage victims. Deputy District Attorney Kelly Smith said Alberson used alcohol, marijuana, and money to lure the boys to perform sex acts.

The judge agreed some prison time was warranted.

"You have done some excellent things in your life and you've made some bad decisions. These bad decisions have affected people who were in somewhat of a vulnerable position at the time," said Hon. James Kelley, Fresno Superior Court.

Alberson faced 15 felony counts and one misdemeanor charge. The crimes involved two victims who prosecutors said were groomed over a period of time. Despite this, his attorney pushed for his release on probation.

"In this case, Mr. Alberson has no previous criminal record and at 30 years old, we think he would be a good candidate for probation and the sex offender treatment program," said Harry Drandell, Alberson's Attorney.

The victims did not show up at sentencing. As terms of his punishment, in addition to two years in prison, Alberson must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He was also banned from contacting the victims in any way.

Alberson has already served about a year in prison and will likely have 6 more months in custody before he's released.