A Santa Paula man was found guilty of molestation, stemming from yearslong abuse of a child, in Ventura County Superior Court on June 24.
Jaime Torres, 42, was convicted by a jury of felonies for continuous sexual abuse, aggravated sexual assault of a child and lewd act upon a child, according to a Ventura County District Attorney’s Office news release.
Several special allegations, including that the victim was vulnerable and that the man took advantage of a position of trust, were also found true, DA’s officials said. Such allegations carry with them the possibility of increased sentencing if found true.
The charges stem from an investigation that found the man had continuously molested a girl under the age of 14 from 2012 to 2018, the DA’s office said. Torres was known to the victim, and the abuse happened at homes in Oxnard and Santa Paula that the two had shared.
The victim reported the abuse to a trusted family member in 2019, leading to the man’s arrest, authorities said.
Torres is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on July 27 when he faces a maximum of 31 years to life in prison, the DA’s office said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Paula man found guilty of yearslong child molestation
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
