A Santa Ana man arrested for molesting an 8-year-old family member on Christmas Eve was found guilty yesterday of all counts despite the best efforts of his sex crimes attorney. Jorge Miguel Gallegos was charged with six felony counts in total, including sexual assault, lewd acts on a child under 14, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.
The incident happened on Christmas Eve 2009. Gallegos lured a young family member into his kitchen after everyone else in the house had fallen asleep. He began sexually assaulting his victim when Gallegos’ wife walked in. According to testimony, Gallegos ripped the phone out of the wall and threatened his wife if she tried to call the police. Gallegos then fled the scene.
Gallegos’ wife dialed 911, and Gallegos was arrested in the early hours of Christmas morning. During their investigation, police discovered that a second unreported molestation on the same victim had occurred within a couple of months of the Christmas Eve attack.
Having been found guilty on all 6 felony counts, Gallegos is facing a minimum of 55 years in state prison all the way up to life in prison. Because of the guilty conviction on both the lewd acts on a child under 14 and sexual assault, Gallegos will also have lifetime registration as a sex offender if he were to ever get out of prison.
Having represented hundreds of clients accused of similar crimes, we know that not everyone accused of sexual assault or child molestation is guilty. In this case, however, it appears as though a dangerous predator is off the streets.
