A Salinas man has been sentenced to five years in prison in connection with a child molestation case, Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced Thursday.
Prosecutors described Jesus Medina, 36, as a close friend and spiritual leader to the victim’s family.
On Nov. 5, 2016, the victim, who was under 10 years old at the time of the incident, went to a spiritual ceremony with her mother.
Medina and his wife and children also attended the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, Medina took his children and the victim back to his home for a sleepover.
After Medina put the victim to bed, he came back into her room and molested her twice, prosecutors said.
Later, during an investigation into the incident, Medina told law enforcement he accidentally touched the victim over her clothing when he was putting her to bed.
On Oct. 1, Medina was found guilty of two counts of child molestation.
In addition to his prison sentence, he will be required to register as a sex offender for life. He is also prohibited from contacting the victim for a period of 10 years, the maximum term under the law.
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