Sex Offender Who Stalked Women Gets 9-Year Term

To the relief of his victims, a Ventura man with a long history of sex crimes was sentenced Friday to nine years in state prison.

Judge Barry Klopfer gave Hugh McCafferty, 37, the maximum sentence for attempted rape, burglary and receipt of stolen property, despite defense arguments that he was sorry for the pain he has caused.

McCafferty did not respond to the sentence.

Over the last decade, McCafferty has been convicted in California, Indiana and Wisconsin for sexual assault, criminal trespassing, prowling, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jackeline Wisetilkens said she was happy with the sentence but wishes the law allowed for a stiffer penalty.

“It is not enough to ensure public safety,” she said. “He is a serious sexual offender.”

McCafferty has demonstrated no genuine remorse for the trauma he caused victims, she said. And during his rehabilitation program he continued to expose himself to guards.

Earlier, as McCafferty entered the courtroom, the calm man with uncombed blond hair glanced blankly at his victims and their families, but said nothing.

One victim, Tonja Balden, 26, then tearfully told the judge that McCafferty had stolen her “sense of emotional stability” by breaking into her Ventura home wearing night goggles to watch her and her husband sleep.

Jon Balden, her husband, jumped out of bed naked and chased McCafferty through the house until finally tackling him on the front lawn. McCafferty escaped, but evidence was collected that led to his arrest earlier this year.

Balden said she was the only one to speak in court because other victims were too afraid.

“I live in fear, and I still cannot sleep,” she said between sniffles. “I hope the court takes into consideration what he will do to other victims if he gets out.”

Prosectors have said McCafferty has been known to stalk women, break into their homes, watch them sleep and sometimes touch them. Then he would contact them repeatedly by phone.

Martin Altstadt, a Janesville, Wis., police investigator who has tracked McCafferty for a decade, said in an interview that McCafferty deserved the harsh sentence.

“He jokes about the things he does and says he’s committing crimes that aren’t that serious,” Altstadt said. “That woman in there was only the tip of the iceberg.”

When McCafferty was under surveillance in Wisconsin, the detective said, he watched the suspect go out nightly to apartment complexes rattling door after door.

“He has demonstrated unquestionably that if he’s not incarcerated he offends,” he said.

Lori Pennycook flew from Wisconsin to show support for Balden. She said McCafferty stalked her for four years, even after she moved three times. In 1997, he was convicted of a misdemeanor after she caught him peeking under tanning booth doors to watch women undress at a tanning salon she owned.

“At least we’ll get peace and quiet for [nine] years,” she said. “That’s more than we ever see in Wisconsin.”

After a series of incidents in Wisconsin, Pennycook erected a billboard outside her residence that said, “Jail for Hugh, Justice for Women.” She would also display updates of his whereabouts.

Howard Asher, McCafferty’s attorney, said the judge’s ruling was not a surprise considering his criminal history. Asher asked for a sentence of seven years.