Nevada resident Christopher Sena was sentenced to 54 life sentences for a minimum of 341 years in prison on May 28.
Sena has been in jail since 2014, but was convicted in Las Vegas on February 21 for forcing his children and other family members to have sex with him for over a decade, KTNV reported.
Christopher Sena, a 52-year-old father, was found guilty on 95 counts of the 120 counts, including multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor, incest, use of a minor in pornography, indecency with a child under 14 and child abuse.
All of his seven children, his wife, and his ex-wife were involved in the abuse.
#JudgeBillKephart sentences #ChristopherSena to 60 life sentences with a minimum of 341 years pic.twitter.com/hibK1TqotG
— M Price (@LasVegasCourts) May 28, 2019
Sena recorded some of the horrific acts on video. Some of the footage was shown to the jury at his trial.
His daughter Anita Sena, described in court her experiences.
“I was never truly his daughter in the first place,” she said, according to KLAS. “I was just an object for him to do awful things to because there was no one there to tell him otherwise.”
Clark County District Judge William Kephart was deeply shocked by hearing the witnesses’ testimonies and told Christopher Sena about what he felt of his actions.
“I’ve never understood why we as humanity think that we can do things like this to children,” said Kephart, reported KLAS. “You have a very perverted mind. … It’s disturbing, and I’m ashamed it has to come out of a city that I love.”
Chief Deputy District prosecuting attorney James Sweetin called it “one of the worst cases of child sexual abuse ever seen,” and one of the most serious cases they’ve ever seen in Clark County, reported the media outlet.
“The defendant had no concern in regards to when he committed these horrendous acts upon these children and today I think justice was done,” he added.
Prosecutors say Christopher Sena was the leader of a Las Vegas sex ring and forced his wife and ex-wife to have sex with their children. Sena won’t be eligible for parole for another 337 years, or until 2356.
Sena’s wife, Deborah Sena, 53, who has since divorced him, and Terrie Sena, 48, his ex-wife, both testified against him during the trial. Both are currently serving one life sentence each for participating in the crimes. They may apply for parole after ten years.
How to Recognize Trauma and Abuse
Domestic sexual assault of children is a widespread problem in society. However, many cases go unreported due to fear, shame, and the young age of the victim. According to RAINN, an estimated 93 percent of perpetrators are known by the victim, and 34 percent are family members.
The experience of sexual abuse is extremely traumatic for the child. While most reported cases of sexual abuse occur between 12 and 17 years old, a significant number of cases of sexual abuse happen when the victim is so young that the child has little to no memory of the event.
Many victimized children who have not come to terms with their own sexual trauma are at increased risk of becoming perpetrators of sexual abuse later in life and thus passing the trauma on to later generations.
Children may exhibit a variety of reactions to experiences of sexual abuse, ranging from extreme compliance to severe behavioral issues.
FocusOnTheFamily.com lists the following potential symptoms in children who are victims of sexual abuse:
- Depression and/or withdrawal from others, including God
- Anxiety
- Nervousness, especially about being alone
- Fear of people who remind them of their abuser
- Hypervigilance
- Anger
- Change in appetite and/or eating disorders
- Suicidal and/or other self-harming behaviors
- Low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness
- Sleep problems including nightmares
- Trouble concentrating
- Confusion
- Unusual aggressiveness
- Lack of trust
- Secretiveness
- Conduct issues
- Excessive compliance
- Refusal to go to school
- Abnormal interest in anything of a sexual nature
- Complaints of something wrong in the genital area
- Seductive behaviors
Adult survivors of child sexual abuse may also exhibit above symptoms as well as additional symptoms of untreated emotional trauma below:
- Excessive drive to perform to prove their worth
- Addictions to substances, sex, pornography and/or work
- Higher likelihood of developing stress-related health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke
- Higher likelihood of abusing and/or manipulating others in order to stay in control
- Body image problems
- Sexual dysfunction
- Dysfunctional relationships
- Intimacy issues
- Poor parenting skills
For help with abuse 24/7, call RAINN at 1-800-656-4673.
