Victor Villanueva Legaria, an Oxnard resident, was recently sentenced to 10 years and 8 months for committing lewd acts on a minor. His trial concluded on July 20, with a jury finding him guilty of two felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, and one felony count of lewd acts on a child aged 14 or 15, , according to a press release from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The jury confirmed the special allegations that Legaria took advantage to abuse a child in a position of trust, occurring multiple times between 2016 and 2020. The victim sadly was aged 11 when the abuse started.
In 2020, the victim shared the abuse with a family member, who contacted the Oxnard Police Department. Officers and detectives from the Oxnard Police Department Family Protection Unit investigated, resulting in Legaria's arrest and conviction. Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore, part of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Sexual Assault Unit, presided over the prosecution.
Reflecting on the case, Atmore stated after sentencing: "Child molestation will not be tolerated in Ventura County. Although the sentence is what we hoped for, it represents a step towards healing the trauma suffered by the victim."
