Home › News › Other News
Man sentenced to 45 years for fondling girls
Download this story as a podcast!
STORY TOOLS 
More from Other NewsA judge today sentenced Santiago Trevizo to 45 years to life for fondling three girls who lived in his condominium complex.
Outside the courtroom, Prosecutor Maeve Fox said, "I think that based on Mr. Trevizo's life history I think it is an appropriate sentence."
Jurors last month found Trevizo, 58, of Moorpark, guilty of six counts of lewd acts upon a child and also found true the special allegations that there were multiple victims. The fondling took place from 2000 to 2005.
Trevizo's lawyer, Tim Quinn, unsuccessfully argued to Ventura County Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie that the punishment for six felony convictions of lewd acts upon a child is excessive. Quinn said the sentence constitutes "cruel and unusual" punishment.
"In this case, the touching was primarily on the clothes," Quinn told the judge.
Fox urged the judge to follow the wishes of state legislators who passed these tough sentencing guidelines for sexual offenders, especially in cases involving multiple victims.
Fox told the judge that this fondling damaged the girls' "development and life experiences." "It is just as damaging if the fondling were more severe," Fox said.
Quinn said in an interview that he plans to appeal the case.
Posted by FedUp on October 31, 2007 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
General population, here I come. haha. good luck you perve!
Posted by sunnbear on October 31, 2007 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
Posted by luvsDC on October 31, 2007 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This crime is certainly reprehensible. However, if he kills them, his sentence is about 1/2 shorter.
I approve of long sentences for child abusers, but not in the Megan's law where these miscreants are harrassed when they get out. I say, just keep them in.
Posted by chair on October 31, 2007 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Some years ago this issue came up in meetings. An FBI agent said there's no "fix" for perpetrators who molest prepubescent children. I queried a pschrink. He agreed with the Feeb. Given that, if it indeed be so, then there are only two reasonable answers to the problem: execution or permanent incarceration. Releasing these perverts back into population is insane. But we do have to create a reasonable program for molesters of adolescents and older victims. They, supposedly, can be cured. Is there any real science in all of this or are we back to judicial and popular opinion holding sway?
Posted by NothingButTheTruth on October 31, 2007 at 6:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
chair: There is no cure for pedophiles REGARDLESS of the age of their victims. No doubt the courts would find execution "excessive and cruel & unusual" for the crime. Frankly, I think certain people that have such persuasion must have a defective gene that causes such weird sexual craving. What should be occurring is medical research to find and hopefully destroy that gene. I don't say this as a defense for what they do (by no means), but I have NEVER heard of a pedophile shown to be "cured". Look at what we've seen on Dateline NBC... people from ALL walks of life going off the deep end. My guess is this group has the highest rate of recidivism, yet our prisons are bulging and we can't lock them up forever. Parents MUST educate their children from the earliest possible age on what constitutes inappropriate touching, etc and to report it.
Posted by ladybear_4me on October 31, 2007 at 7:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm glad this criminal is going to be removed from the streets. Fortunately the legal system believed these girls and understands the seriousness of this pervert's behavior.
This guy didn't just target children, however they were his the innocents who now have to grow up knowing that he violated their space. This behavior is insidious, violating basic human trust and it MUST be stopped!!!
Posted by potatoebay on October 31, 2007 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NothingButthe Truth and Chair are giving some of the most intelligent conversation I have seen on this web site ever......Makes me keep reading on...
Posted by hjay on November 1, 2007 at 6:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If he was an illegal alien he probably would have gotten away with a light slap on the wrist or a lecture that he should promise not to be fondling young girls in the future.
Posted by 4PETESAKE on November 13, 2007 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I fill sorry for his family. Iv known them since I was a young girl..and he was no molester!!
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.