Man once sought by FBI is convicted in Sacramento County child sexual abuse case
A Sacramento County jury has convicted a man of sexually abusing a little girl before he evaded prosecution, was sought by the FBI and was captured in Mexico last year.
The jurors on Friday found Jose Arturo Navarrete Jr. guilty of 10 counts of child sexual assault charges, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.
Prosecutors said Navarrete, 25, faces a maximum sentence of 128 years to life in prison. He remains in custody at Sacramento County Main Jail on Wednesday awaiting his sentencing, scheduled on Sept. 1 in Sacramento Superior Court.
Navarrete began sexually abusing the girl when 5 years old and continued sexually assaulting her for about three years, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
In August 2018, the girl and her family reported the sexual abuse to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office initially filed a criminal complaint against Navarrete in June 2019, according to court records.
In December 2019, the FBI was searching for Navarrete and offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his capture. A federal warrant was issued Aug. 22, 2019, after he boarded a flight and left California.
The FBI said Navarrete evaded prosecution in the Sacramento County child abuse case, in which he had been charged with four counts of lewd acts with a minor, three counts of sex with a child younger than 10 and four counts of oral sex with a child younger than 10. Court records indicate one of the charges was dismissed.
Navarrete, who had worked as a welder’s assistant, had last been seen in his home state of Texas, according to the Sacramento-area FBI office. Investigators at the time believed he also could be hiding in Arizona, New Mexico or Mexico.
On Jan. 22, 2019, the FBI announced that a tip helped authorities find and capture Navarrete in Mexico. He was later extradited to the United States and returned to Sacramento County to face prosecution.
