On Friday, December 11th, 2020, a Merced County jury convicted Defendant Jose Juan Pineda, also known as Jose Juan Ibarra Pineda, of seven separate counts of lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14.

The defendant faces 105 years to life in prison at his upcoming sentencing hearing on January 12, 2021.

The case first came to light in June 2018 when the youngest victim, then eight years old, disclosed the abuse to her mother. During the ensuing investigation, Sergeant Robert Wiens of the Los Banos Police Department diligently tracked down multiple victims as well as background information to ensure successful prosecution of the case.

Ultimately, three victims bravely came to court and testified about abuse they experienced. Along with the youngest victim who is now ten, two adult victims described events that occurred when they were children.

All three victims were of similar age when their instances of abuse occurred and all three encountered Mr. Pineda as a result of family connections. Deputy District Attorney Sara Rosenthal prosecuted the case.