Visalia Man Sentenced to Life in State Prison for Child Molestation
Yesterday in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, the court sentenced Dennis Saenz Moreno, age 69, to 25 years-to-life in prison for child molestation. Moreno will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
On July 21, 2021, Moreno pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger and four counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of fourteen. All crimes involved substantial sexual conduct. Each count is a felony and are considered strike offenses.
The crimes occurred between February 1991 and May 2018 against six female victims between five and fourteen years old at the time of the sexual assaults. The evidence indicates that some of the sexual assaults continued until the age of eighteen against one of the victims.
“At first glance, it would appear that the sentence doesn’t match the horrendous crimes committed by the defendant, and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree,” said District Attorney Tim Ward. “Part of supporting victims of crime is to help them heal in a manner that suits them. In this case, healing meant moving forward without enduring a trial. Based on the defendant’s age and the fact that he will qualify for review under California’s new Elder Parole process regardless if the sentence was longer, we believe this is a very appropriate sentence.”
AB 3234 (2020) provides that inmates who are 50 years and older and have been incarcerated for 20 continuous years will be eligible for a parole suitability hearing.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Wayt of the Crimes against Children Division and was investigated by the Visalia Police Department and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office of Investigations.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494