Man sentenced to life for child molestation

On July 15, in Department 6 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, Judge Gary Paden sentenced Pedro Salinas, age 47, to 122 years-to-life in prison for child molestation.

On June 12, a Tulare County jury found Salinas 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 13 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 and 10-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.

In addition to his sentence, Salinas will 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.