Man to serve six years for child pornography, sexual assault

A Salinas man has been sentenced to six years in prison in a sexual assault and child pornography case, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Thursday.

Virgilio Santos, 33, was sentenced for committing assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense and for possession of child pornography of two victims, prosecutors said.

On Jan. 6, officers with the Salinas Police Department responded to a report Santos had installed video cameras in the bathroom at his home.

One of the victims, who was 14 years old at the time, reported that on Aug. 15, 2018, she had seen recordings of her and her younger sister, who was 7 years old at the time, using the bathroom in Santos’ home.

Prosecutors said the video was recorded directly from Santos’ phone and showed the victims’ genitals while they were using the restroom.

On Jan. 7, a woman reported she was walking on the sidewalk when she saw Santos, her friend’s husband, standing in front of his residence.

She told investigators she greeted Santos, but he didn’t say anything, and she then felt him grab her from behind in a bear hug, and he grabbed her breasts and genitals before she was able to break free.

In addition to the prison sentence, Santos will be required to register as a sex offender and will ordered not to have contact with the victims for a period of 10 years, the maximum time under the law.