Lake Elsinore Man Accused of Child Molestation at Daycare to Stand Trial

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA – A 21-year-old Lake Elsinore man accused of repeatedly molesting a girl at his family's daycare business must stand trial on multiple felony charges, a judge ruled Thursday.

Jacob Blas could face 75 years to life in prison if convicted of sexually assaulting the child, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Donner found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on five counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child under 10 years old.

Donner scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Feb. 21 at the Riverside Hall of Justice and kept Blas' bail at $5 million. He's being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Sheriff's investigators received a report in late April of an alleged molestation at the Rea Family Daycare on Bella Aliza, according to Sgt. Steve Brosche.

Detectives allegedly uncovered evidence that the victim was molested while under Blas' supervision. The defendant lived on-site at the time, according to the sergeant.

The District Attorney's Office alleges that the abuse occurred between January 2014 and continued into late 2015.

Blas fixed his attentions on the girl beginning when she was 6 years old, taking her aside after other children had left the daycare, prosecutors allege.

The victim's younger brother was at the facility around the same time but was apparently distracted or left in another room when his sibling was allegedly assaulted, according to investigators.

Riverside County Child Protective Services, the California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Justice all initiated investigations of the family daycare after the criminal complaint was filed against Blas, who has no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions.

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--City News Service/Patch file photo