Oxnard man faces potential life sentence in child molestation case

An Oxnard man has been convicted of molesting several girls in the area in connection with allegations that first came to light last summer for offenses prosecutors said had been carried out over 15 years.

Manuel Aguilar Villalobos, 62, was found guilty March 2 on 11 counts of sex crimes following a two-week jury trial in Ventura. The alleged offenses include committing lewd acts upon a child under age 14, unlawful sexual intercourse, unlawful oral copulation and possession of child pornography.

The jury also found true more than three dozen related factors that can enhance the possible penalties and qualify him for a sentence of up to life in prison. Included were sexual contact with more than one victim under age 14, violating a position of trust and confidence, planning the crimes, abusing vulnerable victims and threatening a witness, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said.

Villalobos pleaded not guilty to all charges and testified in his own defense at the trial. So did the four females, three of them still under 18 and one an adult, prosecutor Edward Andrews said. He declined to disclose their current ages out of concern for their privacy.

Offender knew girls

Villalobos knew the girls, who were ages 6 to 16 at the time of the alleged abuse, because he was acquainted with their parents or because they lived in his neighborhood, Andrews said.

He provided child care for one of the girls and her siblings and gave victims rides in his vehicle, Andrews said.

"It was a series of molestations through the kind of everyday activities that we rely on other people for our kids," the senior deputy DA said.

The convictions for three of the victims were based on inappropriate touching of their private parts and kissing that did not go so far as intercourse or oral sex, Andrews said. With the fourth, the defendant engaged in inappropriate touching but as the victim got older, his behavior progressed to intercourse and oral sex, Andrews said.

"Any touching of a victim under 14 with a sexual intent is a felony because touching can lead to catastrophic consequences," he said. "It is something they still carry with them, and it was shown in extremely emotional testimony during the trial."

Detectives with the Oxnard Police Department arrested the defendant in mid-September after a social worker reported the alleged behavior against one of the girls, Sgt. Scott Aaron said. The case was later expanded to include the other three victims, officials said.

Victims speak when ready

Aaron said it is not particularly rare for complaints of sex-related crimes against children to go unreported for many years. Victims often decline to report allegations for family reasons, shame and reluctance to talk about the issues, he said.

"They don't come forward right away," he said. "They come forward when they're ready."

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced at a hearing March 30.

Prosecutors are asking for the maximum sentence of 136 years to life. The defense is asking for a sentence of less than life imprisonment, said Villalobos' attorney, Damon Jenkins.

Jenkins, a senior deputy public defender, said information on mitigating circumstances will be presented at the sentencing hearing. Villalobos has no prior convictions save a few traffic tickets, according to court records.

Villalobos is being held at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula and is not eligible for release.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard man faces life sentence in 15-year child molestation case