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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A young Lower Lake man who was a standout high school athlete has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the sexual abuse of a child that was recorded and shared over social media platforms.
Peerliss Christopher Brooke, 23, was sentenced to 40 years to life and lifetime sex offender registration during a Sept. 30 hearing before Judge J. David Markham.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson said Brooke’s sentence was the result of a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in which Brooke pleaded no contest to sexual intercourse and oral copulation with a victim under 10 years old.
While the 40 years to life sentence is a lengthy one, Brooke’s agreement to the plea deal is explained by the fact that he was facing 100 years or more in prison upon conviction at trial, Watson said.
Watson said the Brooke matter was “up there with the worst that I have dealt with” among sexual abuse cases.
“It’s really twisted,” Watson added.
Brooke had no criminal history before the case, said Watson.
He also had been a standout football player and wrestler at Lower Lake High School, based on online school sports reports.
FBI investigation leads to arrest
Watson said the investigation into the Brooke case started on Sept. 21, 2023.
The case began as the Federal Bureau of Investigation was following a lead in a child pornography case involving a male subject on the North Coast, Watson said.
That subject was on Facebook Live with a male in Clearlake — later identified as Brooke. Watson said Brooke was in the midst of sexually assaulting the child while filming it and the other man was instructing him on what to do with images and video.
Watson said the FBI identified a 7-year-old female victim they believed lived in Lake County and they contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Clearlake Police Department.
With the child identified, authorities went to the child’s home and notified her mother. Watson said that led to a forensic interview with the child victim on that same night at the Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, which is part of the District Attorney’s Office.
That interview, Watson said, involved a trained forensic interviewer who asked nonleading questions in a manner that would allow the statements to come in in a court proceeding. It’s a process followed with child victims.
During that interview, the victim identified Brooke, said she knew him and that she had made videos with him, Watson said.
The next day — Sept. 22, 2023 — Clearlake Police Det. Leo Flores and an FBI agent executed a search warrant at Brooke’s home. Watson said when they reviewed his social media accounts, they found images and video of Brooke sexually assaulting the girl.
Watson said investigators confronted Brooke about the sexual assault and showed him a picture of the victim. Brooke told them that a person on Instagram offered him money for the photos, but he didn’t know her name and she never paid him.
The Clearlake Police Department arrested Brooke the same day as the search warrant service. Watson said Brooke was arraigned on Sept. 26, 2023. Defense attorney Tom Quinn, then a public defender with Lake Indigent Defense, was appointed to represent Brooke.
When contacted about the case, Quinn did not wish to offer comment for this story.
Watson said that the DA’s Office immediately made its plea offer to Brooke, although it wasn’t initially accepted.
A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 11, 2023, but Watson said that was waived, and it was set for jury trial, initially in May of this year, then it was continued to August.
On Aug. 16, a settlement conference was held, Watson said. “The offer never changed and he ended up pleading to it that day.”
Watson said Brooke pleaded no contest to sexual intercourse with a victim under 10 years old, which carries a statutory term of 25 years to life, and oral copulation on a victim under 10 years old, which has a 15-years-to-life statutory term. Those terms were made consecutive, leading to his aggregate total of 40 years to life in state prison, plus the lifetime sex offender registration.
That led to Judge Markham’s sentencing of Brooke on Sept. 30, Watson said.
Youth offender rules may allow for earlier parole hearings
On Oct. 3, Brooke was transported to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The agency’s inmate locator said he is serving his time at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.
Brooke’s parole eligible date currently is set at September 2047, but the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website entry on Brooke said that is subject to change, noting that Brooke will be eligible for a parole suitability hearing as a youth offender because he committed his “controlling offense” while under the age of 26.
“The incarcerated person’s first parole hearing will be scheduled during his or her 15th, 20th, or 25th year of incarceration, depending on the sentence imposed by the court,” the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website said.
State penal code allows for such exceptions in youth offender cases when the sentence is 25 years to life.
The penal code also allows for the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to authorize state inmates in circumstances such as Brooke’s to obtain an earlier youth parole eligible date
There are more parts to the investigation that began with the FBI that are still underway, said Watson, who noted that the FBI’s involvement showed how big the investigation is.
“There’s ongoing investigation into the other parties that were involved with the Instagram images and videos involving Peerliss Brooke and this victim,” said Watson, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved.
Watson said he is now preparing to charge the other man who was involved with instructing Brooke over Facebook Live during the child’s sexual assault.
Email Elizabeth Larson atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
Peerliss Christopher Brooke, 23, was sentenced to 40 years to life and lifetime sex offender registration during a Sept. 30 hearing before Judge J. David Markham.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Watson said Brooke’s sentence was the result of a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in which Brooke pleaded no contest to sexual intercourse and oral copulation with a victim under 10 years old.
While the 40 years to life sentence is a lengthy one, Brooke’s agreement to the plea deal is explained by the fact that he was facing 100 years or more in prison upon conviction at trial, Watson said.
Watson said the Brooke matter was “up there with the worst that I have dealt with” among sexual abuse cases.
“It’s really twisted,” Watson added.
Brooke had no criminal history before the case, said Watson.
He also had been a standout football player and wrestler at Lower Lake High School, based on online school sports reports.
FBI investigation leads to arrest
Watson said the investigation into the Brooke case started on Sept. 21, 2023.
The case began as the Federal Bureau of Investigation was following a lead in a child pornography case involving a male subject on the North Coast, Watson said.
That subject was on Facebook Live with a male in Clearlake — later identified as Brooke. Watson said Brooke was in the midst of sexually assaulting the child while filming it and the other man was instructing him on what to do with images and video.
Watson said the FBI identified a 7-year-old female victim they believed lived in Lake County and they contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Clearlake Police Department.
With the child identified, authorities went to the child’s home and notified her mother. Watson said that led to a forensic interview with the child victim on that same night at the Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center, which is part of the District Attorney’s Office.
That interview, Watson said, involved a trained forensic interviewer who asked nonleading questions in a manner that would allow the statements to come in in a court proceeding. It’s a process followed with child victims.
During that interview, the victim identified Brooke, said she knew him and that she had made videos with him, Watson said.
The next day — Sept. 22, 2023 — Clearlake Police Det. Leo Flores and an FBI agent executed a search warrant at Brooke’s home. Watson said when they reviewed his social media accounts, they found images and video of Brooke sexually assaulting the girl.
Watson said investigators confronted Brooke about the sexual assault and showed him a picture of the victim. Brooke told them that a person on Instagram offered him money for the photos, but he didn’t know her name and she never paid him.
The Clearlake Police Department arrested Brooke the same day as the search warrant service. Watson said Brooke was arraigned on Sept. 26, 2023. Defense attorney Tom Quinn, then a public defender with Lake Indigent Defense, was appointed to represent Brooke.
When contacted about the case, Quinn did not wish to offer comment for this story.
Watson said that the DA’s Office immediately made its plea offer to Brooke, although it wasn’t initially accepted.
A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 11, 2023, but Watson said that was waived, and it was set for jury trial, initially in May of this year, then it was continued to August.
On Aug. 16, a settlement conference was held, Watson said. “The offer never changed and he ended up pleading to it that day.”
Watson said Brooke pleaded no contest to sexual intercourse with a victim under 10 years old, which carries a statutory term of 25 years to life, and oral copulation on a victim under 10 years old, which has a 15-years-to-life statutory term. Those terms were made consecutive, leading to his aggregate total of 40 years to life in state prison, plus the lifetime sex offender registration.
That led to Judge Markham’s sentencing of Brooke on Sept. 30, Watson said.
Youth offender rules may allow for earlier parole hearings
On Oct. 3, Brooke was transported to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The agency’s inmate locator said he is serving his time at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi.
Brooke’s parole eligible date currently is set at September 2047, but the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website entry on Brooke said that is subject to change, noting that Brooke will be eligible for a parole suitability hearing as a youth offender because he committed his “controlling offense” while under the age of 26.
“The incarcerated person’s first parole hearing will be scheduled during his or her 15th, 20th, or 25th year of incarceration, depending on the sentence imposed by the court,” the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website said.
State penal code allows for such exceptions in youth offender cases when the sentence is 25 years to life.
The penal code also allows for the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to authorize state inmates in circumstances such as Brooke’s to obtain an earlier youth parole eligible date
There are more parts to the investigation that began with the FBI that are still underway, said Watson, who noted that the FBI’s involvement showed how big the investigation is.
“There’s ongoing investigation into the other parties that were involved with the Instagram images and videos involving Peerliss Brooke and this victim,” said Watson, with multiple law enforcement agencies involved.
Watson said he is now preparing to charge the other man who was involved with instructing Brooke over Facebook Live during the child’s sexual assault.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Chamber of Commerce said it has selected its next executive director.
Amanda Martin, a Lake County native, has been hired for the job.
The chamber said Martin “brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community service to her new role with the chamber.”
Martin previously served as the executive director of the Lake County Land Trust and president of the Middletown Art Center, and was a board member for the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
She also has experience running a consulting practice primarily serving nonprofits, worked as an event coordinator for New Paradigm College, and participated as a subcommittee member for the Blue-Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake.
“The board and I were very impressed with Amanda’s experience, initiative and passion for Lake County,” said chamber interim Administrator Greg Folsom. “She has some great ideas for how the chamber can positively impact businesses throughout Lake County that are in line with the board’s vision for the future. With Amanda’s leadership, I see great things happening for the Chamber and for Lake County businesses.”
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce serves its members through small business programs, government affairs, networking, educational opportunities, member development, advertising, special events and collaboration.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will hold a joint mixer on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at the Riviera Hills Restaurant, Lounge and Recreation Club located at 10200 Fairway Drive, Kelseyville where Martin will be introduced to the public.
Please call the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092 to RSVP for the Dec. 11 event.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Attention farmers, agricultural workers, and others in the agricultural community: The agricultural community focus group meeting for the general plan update process has been rescheduled after being postponed due to inclement weather.
The meeting is now scheduled for Thursday, December 19, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Lake County General Plan is a policy document that guides growth and change throughout the unincorporated county for a 25-year period.
Agriculture is an element in the county’s general plan due to its critical role in Lake County’s culture, history and economy.
County planners want to connect with members of the agricultural community, including agricultural workers, landowners and other farmers, to learn about their priorities and needs so that the updated general plan, Lake County 2050, supports the ongoing sustainability of the county’s agriculture sector.
For more information and to share your ideas online, visit https://lakecounty2050.org/.
The meeting is now scheduled for Thursday, December 19, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Lake County General Plan is a policy document that guides growth and change throughout the unincorporated county for a 25-year period.
Agriculture is an element in the county’s general plan due to its critical role in Lake County’s culture, history and economy.
County planners want to connect with members of the agricultural community, including agricultural workers, landowners and other farmers, to learn about their priorities and needs so that the updated general plan, Lake County 2050, supports the ongoing sustainability of the county’s agriculture sector.
For more information and to share your ideas online, visit https://lakecounty2050.org/.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced that the Senate passed their bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, or NEHRP, through Fiscal Year 2028.
Senate passage of the bill comes after a series of major earthquakes struck Northern California Thursday morning, triggering tsunami warnings and underscoring the urgent need for early warning systems and earthquake safety programs like NEHRP.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would authorize a total of $175.4 million per year from FY 2024-2028 across the four federal agencies responsible for long-term earthquake risk reduction under NEHRP: the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation and the United States Geological Survey.
“As today’s devastating Northern California earthquakes remind us, it is never a matter of if, but when the next major earthquake will strike,” said Sen. Padilla on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program supports crucial tools like the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, advances scientific understanding of earthquakes, and strengthens earthquake resilience in communities nationwide. With the safety of our communities at stake, we must stay vigilant. After today’s unanimous Senate passage, I will push my House colleagues to pass this bill to reauthorize this critical program as soon as possible.”
“Alaska faces significant earthquake risks as the most seismically active state-our communities must be prepared,” said Sen. Murkowski on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act provides crucial funding to federal agencies for the research, development, and implementation of earthquake safety procedures. The earthquake today in Northern California is a sober reminder of how critical these readiness measures are.”
Specifically, the NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 would authorize $10.6 million for FEMA, $5.9 million for NIST, $58 million for NSF, and $100.9 million for USGS per year from FY 2024-2028.
This funding would support research, development, and implementation activities related to earthquake safety and risk reduction.
This NEHRP reauthorization includes:
• Directing state and local entities to inventory high risk buildings and structures;
• Expanding seismic events to include earthquake-caused tsunamis;
• Providing more technical assistance to Tribal governments; and
• Improving mitigation for earthquake-connected hazards.
California faces substantial earthquake risks. According to the California Department of Conservation, over 70 percent of Californians live within 30 miles of a fault that could cause high ground shaking within the next 50 years.
The state averages two to three earthquakes per year at magnitude 5.5 or higher, risking moderate structural damage. Because of these major earthquake risks, California has become a leader in earthquake research.
The NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 is endorsed by the American Society of Civil Engineers, BuildStrong America, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, International Code Council, the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, the National Institute of Building Sciences, Seismological Society of America and the Structural Engineers Association of California.
Sen. Padilla has long been a leader in mitigating earthquake risks. As a California State senator, Padilla authored Senate Bill 135, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013, which required the state to establish the nation’s first statewide early warning system.
In 2021, he led five of his U.S. Senate colleagues in requesting details from the U.S. Geological Survey on future plans and funding needs for the West Coast Early Earthquake Warning system.
Senate passage of the bill comes after a series of major earthquakes struck Northern California Thursday morning, triggering tsunami warnings and underscoring the urgent need for early warning systems and earthquake safety programs like NEHRP.
The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill would authorize a total of $175.4 million per year from FY 2024-2028 across the four federal agencies responsible for long-term earthquake risk reduction under NEHRP: the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation and the United States Geological Survey.
“As today’s devastating Northern California earthquakes remind us, it is never a matter of if, but when the next major earthquake will strike,” said Sen. Padilla on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program supports crucial tools like the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, advances scientific understanding of earthquakes, and strengthens earthquake resilience in communities nationwide. With the safety of our communities at stake, we must stay vigilant. After today’s unanimous Senate passage, I will push my House colleagues to pass this bill to reauthorize this critical program as soon as possible.”
“Alaska faces significant earthquake risks as the most seismically active state-our communities must be prepared,” said Sen. Murkowski on Thursday. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act provides crucial funding to federal agencies for the research, development, and implementation of earthquake safety procedures. The earthquake today in Northern California is a sober reminder of how critical these readiness measures are.”
Specifically, the NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 would authorize $10.6 million for FEMA, $5.9 million for NIST, $58 million for NSF, and $100.9 million for USGS per year from FY 2024-2028.
This funding would support research, development, and implementation activities related to earthquake safety and risk reduction.
This NEHRP reauthorization includes:
• Directing state and local entities to inventory high risk buildings and structures;
• Expanding seismic events to include earthquake-caused tsunamis;
• Providing more technical assistance to Tribal governments; and
• Improving mitigation for earthquake-connected hazards.
California faces substantial earthquake risks. According to the California Department of Conservation, over 70 percent of Californians live within 30 miles of a fault that could cause high ground shaking within the next 50 years.
The state averages two to three earthquakes per year at magnitude 5.5 or higher, risking moderate structural damage. Because of these major earthquake risks, California has become a leader in earthquake research.
The NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2024 is endorsed by the American Society of Civil Engineers, BuildStrong America, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, International Code Council, the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, the National Institute of Building Sciences, Seismological Society of America and the Structural Engineers Association of California.
Sen. Padilla has long been a leader in mitigating earthquake risks. As a California State senator, Padilla authored Senate Bill 135, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013, which required the state to establish the nation’s first statewide early warning system.
In 2021, he led five of his U.S. Senate colleagues in requesting details from the U.S. Geological Survey on future plans and funding needs for the West Coast Early Earthquake Warning system.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — A large quake offshore of Humboldt County that was felt by thousands of people across several states and set off a series of aftershocks on Thursday morning.
The US Geological Survey said the 7.0-magnitude quake occurred at 10:44 a.m. offshore of Cape Mendocino.
It triggered phone ShakeAlerts and was reported to be felt by people not just on the North Coast but around California as well as in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.
As of 12:30 p.m., more than 12,500 people in 673 zip codes had reported to the USGS that they had felt the quake.
At 11:47 a.m., the USGS initially reported there was a 5.8-magnitude quake in northern Sonoma County, just west of Cobb. However, that quake was later downgraded to a 4.1-magnitude temblor.
That quake was followed at 10:48 a.m. by a 2.5-magnitude quake near Cobb, inside the Lake County border.
Lake County News readers throughout the county, Northern California and Southern California reported feeling the quake.
At 10:49 a.m., the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for the area stretching from 10 miles southwest of Florence, Oregon, to 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz, California. That warning said the earthquake was 7.3 in magnitude and 8 miles deep, significantly deeper than USGS’ report had indicated.
That warning was later ended.
The Cape Mendocino quake was followed by a continuing series of aftershocks — nearly 20 of them within an hour and a half — ranging in magnitude from 2.7 to 4.3.
Within an hour of the major quake, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office reported that a tsunami was expected to hit Sonoma County beginning at 11:45 a.m. People were told to stay out of coastal waters and rivers, off the beaches, harbor docks and piers, as strong currents and dangerous waves are expected.
That Sonoma County warning was canceled shortly after noon.
The Mendocino College Coast Center said it closed due “to an abundance of caution” in response to the tsunami warning, but planned to reopen at 1 p.m.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A team of Middletown High School students will compete Thursday evening in a West Coast playoff game in an esport competition.
Esports are multiplayer, organized video game competitions that can be viewed by spectators.
Jennifer Pyzer, Middletown High’s business and computer instructor, said the team competes in the High School Esport League and will play the game “APEX Legends.”
The competition includes East, Central and West regions. Middletown High will compete in the West Region, which consists of the Mountain, Pacific, Alaska and Hawaii time zone schools.
Middletown is small but proving mighty in the competition.
Pyzer said there were 36 schools competing in the APEX competition for the Fall Tournament.
“Middletown made it to the playoffs, and we are now in the semi-finals,” Pyzer said.
Pyzer said the top four teams are left.
Middletown’s record is 6-1; that’s the same record for Benjamin Franklin High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Pyzer said.
“We are ranked No. 2 and LAUSD Franklin is ranked No. 3,” Pyzer said.
Pyzer said the team will play in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5.
“There is a chance if they make it to the top rounds that they will be able to compete against the other regions — Central and East at a larger tournament in Texas,” Pyzer said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at