A convicted sex offender from Fresno, California, could face the longest punishment in the state’s history.
Each count of child molestation carries a possible sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Since Jimenez had already been convicted of attempted child molestation in 1997 in Washington, each sentence he now faces could be doubled to 50 years to life in prison, according to prosecutor Deborah Miller.
He had also previously pleaded guilty to failing to update his registration as a sex offender.
“California has strong laws against sexual assault, especially when against children,” Miller told Fresno Bee.
“We can’t give child molesters enough time in prison. There’s just not enough years to give them,” she added.
The 42-year-old was arrested in 2015 after police received two tip-offs from Microsoft and Dropbox about someone distributing child porn.
“When we became aware that he was sending emails where he was referencing ongoing molestation of children in the home, the very next day we executed a search warrant on the house,” Fresno police Detective David Wilkin told the newspaper.
During his trial, Miller said Jimenez discussed molesting children in his emails.
“There’s this very cute little 4-year-old girl that I babysit about once a week,” Miller said, quoting one of Jimenez’s emails, according to ABC 13.
“I have hella pictures of her. I have to molest her every chance I get,” she continued.
Investigators found more than 40 videos showing Jimenez molesting the two children and nearly 10,000 files of child porn were used as evidence in the case.
The prosecutor said the two girls were abused during the period of June 2014 to June 2015. She also said Jimenez lied to police about where he lived for more than a year, reported ABC13.
After Jimenez was arrested, he confessed to his crimes.
Defense lawyer Angelica Rivera argued that two of the 36 counts of child abuse involved the same criminal act.
“The easy thing to do in this case is to clump all the counts together,” Rivera said, reported ABC 13.
“That’s the easy thing to do. The right thing is to take them separately,” she added. But even so, the punishment would only be reduced to 1827 years to life, according to ABC13 citing Miller.
Before the trial, Jimenez turned down a plea deal of 75 years to life.
Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and will remain in Fresno County Jail on no bail.
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