On last Friday, Elton Ward was sentenced to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting minors. The sentencing was delivered by Judge Michael Sweet after Ward was convicted of 18 counts of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible rape, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
Ward was convicted of crimes that took place over an eight-year period and involved three girls. The victims, now adults, reported that the abuse happened when they were children and that Ward was a trusted figure in their lives at the time. Statements disclosed during the trial included one victim saying the abuse began when she was six and continued until she was 13. Another said Ward molested her in a car when she was in her early teens. A third reported being molested after a shopping trip at around age 11 or 12 and said Ward raped her when she was 15, as reported by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
Ward, 52, was sentenced to 41 years in prison for multiple counts of sexual abuse. Deputy District Attorney Wynn Tran from the Special Assault & Child Abuse Unit prosecuted the case. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office states that “Ward (age 52 ) will become eligible for release at an Elder Parole hearing once he only serves 20 years of his 41-year prison sentence.” With in-custody credits, the hearing could take place in about 18 years. Information about the Elder Parole program is available through the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office official website.
