LA Man Sentenced To Over 12 Years Behind Bars For Child Sex Abuse

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to 12 ½ years behind bars for child sex abuse, according to the City Attorney's office.

Jacinto Mendez, 36, was convicted in December of six counts of sexual battery, two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object and one count of willful cruelty to a child, among other charges, according to City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto's office.

The charges are all misdemeanors: Typically, the city attorney's office prosecutes misdemeanor crimes, while the District Attorney's Office handles felonies. In a Monday news release, Feldstein Soto highlighted the case as an example of her commitment to prosecuting cases of crimes against children.

“The safety, health and well-being of our most vulnerable residents - our children - has been one of my top priorities. This is one of the longest sentences our office has secured,” Feldstein Soto said. “I am proud of the prosecutors in my office who dedicate themselves to this work and give voice in the halls of justice to our kids."

Mendez's conviction stemmed from his sexual abuse of his female relative when she was 13 and 14 years old, according to prosecutors.

He was convicted after a 10-day jury trial.