A 36-year-old man is accused of sexually abusing his 19-year-old coworker while employed as a chef in Yosemite National Park, according to federal authorities.
Danavon Caine, of Jamaica, was working in the park on a seasonal H-2B Visa when he abused the teen late on the night of July 17, authorities said, adding that the woman told a neighbor and a friend about the incident that night and reported it to law enforcement the next day.
Caine was arrested July 31 and ordered detained pending trial, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of California. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of sexual abuse, authorities said, and, if convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Caine and the teen were both chefs at the Mountain Room restaurant when he invited her to socialize after work, SFGate reported, citing court documents. They had been looking at the stars in a grassy area when, mid-conversation, he started talking about sex, according to the outlet, which reported that he took off the teen's clothes and climbed on her.
The interaction may have been consensual at first, SFGate reported, citing the teen's account to investigators, but as Caine initiated sexual acts, she repeatedly asked him to stop and physically pushed him, according to the outlet, which added he only got up when she pushed him as forcefully as she could. Caine did not use a condom when he initiated sex and he used his hand to apply pressure to the teen's neck, according to the outlet.
Caine is at least the fourth employee of Yosemite Hospitality to face sexual abuse or assault charges involving a coworker in the last decade, SFGate reported, adding the employer in 2025 increased the criteria and standards of its background checks. Caine's check showed no records in the U.S., according to the outlet.
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