Visalia Man Found Guilty of 14 Counts of Child Molestation
Today in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Gary Paden presiding, a Tulare County jury found Pedro Salinas, age 47, guilty of one count of forcible lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, seven counts of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, one count of attempted lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, two counts of forcible sodomy on a child 14 years or older and two counts of forcible sexual penetration on a child 14 years or older. The jury also found true the special allegation of substantial sexual conduct and that some of the crimes were committed against multiple victims. Each count is a felony and thirteen of the counts are strike offenses.
Twelve of the crimes occurred between October 5, 2008, and July 20, 2017, against a female victim, who was between 7 and 15-years-old at the time of the sexual assaults. The other two crimes occurred between January 5, 2009, and January 4, 2017 against a separate female victim who was between the ages of 9 and10-years-old at the time of the sexual assaults. Thirteen of the crimes occurred in the City of Visalia and one of the crimes occurred in Fresno County.
Sentencing is scheduled
for July 15, 2019, in Superior Court where Salinas faces 132 years-to-life
years to life in state prison. Salinas will also be required to register as a
sex offender for the remainder of his life.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Wayt of the Crimes
against Children Division and was investigated by Detective Bryan Somavia of
the Visalia Police Department.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494