Crime & Safety
Salinas Man Found Guilty Of Lewd Acts On 7-Year-Old At Birthday Party
Sonny Velasco, 33, was found guilty of exposing himself to a seven-year-old girl and forcing her to perform sexual acts on him.
SALINAS, CA — A Salinas man was found guilty of committing lewd acts upon a little girl at a birthday party, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Sonny Velasco, 33, was found guilty on Monday of one count of lewd or lascivious acts on a child under 14, one count of assault with intent to commit a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under 14, one count of indecent exposure during an unlawful entering of an inhabited dwelling, and one count of resisting an officer. Two of the convictions are considered "strikes" under California's Three Strikes Law.
Jane Doe, 7, was at a family birthday party when Velasco, a stranger, entered the residence, prosecutors said. The girl was alone on the couch when he exposed himself to her and asked her to perform sexual acts on him. Jane Doe refused and Velasco grabbed her by the wrist.
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The child was able to break free from Velasco's grip and ran to tell her mother what happened.
According to prosecutors, Velasco was captured on the family's surveillance cameras entering and exiting the place.
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Once he was apprehended, he threatened a Salinas police officer.
Velasco is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27 is facing a maximum punishment of 9 years and 8 months in prison, the District Attorney's Office said.
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