Bay City News Service
SALINAS — A Salinas man has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old relative, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Friday.
Sergio Jardinez-Soto, 22, was found guilty in April by a jury of forcible digital penetration of a minor, prosecutors said.
The assault occurred in August 2017, when the victim was staying at a relatives home.
Prosecutors said the victim and her single mother had recently become homeless, and the victim was staying with a family member so she would not have to sleep in a car.
The victim was sleeping in the garage of the home, where Jardinez-Soto also slept.
She was at the residence two nights, and on the third night, Jardinez-Soto sexually assaulted her by groping her and touching her genitals, prosecutors said.
