SALINAS — A Marina man is facing 140-to-life after Superior Court Judge Carrie Panetta read the jury’s guilty verdict at his trial.
42-year-old Manuel Jesus Jimenez has been found guilty of two counts of sexual penetration with a child 10 years of age or younger and three counts of lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 years of age.
In May of 2015, his 9-year-old victim discovered Jimenez in the act of molesting her 15-year-old cousin. The two of them came forward and informed their mothers of the abuse carried out by Jimenez over the course of many months.
An investigation by authorities also revealed that there’d been a third victim, and all three testified at his trial with the assistance of Odie, the District Attorney’s victim comfort dog. The jury praised the girls for their bravery .
Jimenez will be sentenced on December 13th of this year. In addition to his possible prison sentence, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The case was investigated by Marina Police Officers Borocio, Minnig, Rosas, and Troia. The victims’ care throughout the investigation was overseen by Alma Sanchez of the District Attorney’s Office.
