MURRIETA, Calif. (CNS) — A 27-year-old man who sexually assaulted a Lake
Elsinore girl was sentenced Thursday to six years in state prison.
In October, Gerardo Villagran of Lake Elsinore admitted a charge of
lewd acts on a child under 14 years old as part of a plea agreement with the
Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admission,
prosecutors dropped four related charges.
Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
In addition to the prison term, Freer ordered Villagran to register as a convicted sex offender, which under Penal Code section 290 will limit the types of employment he can obtain to limit interactions with children, as well as require him to keep law enforcement notified of where he's living once he's on parole.
Villagran was arrested in May following a sheriff's investigation that was initiated after the victim, identified in court documents only as “Jane Doe,” came forward.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Julio Olguin, the molestation occurred at a house in the 200 block of Heald Avenue, near Ellis Street, over an unspecified period.
The relationship between Villagran and the girl, if any, was not disclosed, nor were the specific circumstances behind the acts.
Olguin said that following interviews with the victim, a search warrant was obtained and served at the assailant's house on Joy Street.
Villagran fled out a back door when deputies approached, but he was apprehended moments later without incident, according to the sergeant.
The defendant had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Related
