Merced County jury finds man, 35, guilty of multiple child molestation charges

May 22—A Merced County jury on Friday found a 35-year-old man guilty of five felony counts of child molestation.

The victim, who is now an adult, testified at the trial about being abused by Jose Juan Mena-Barba between the ages 6 through 13, according to a Merced County District Attorney's Office news release.

Mena-Barba was found guilty of sexual penetration of a child 10 years or younger, three counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 and a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14.

"For years the confidential victim kept the abuse a secret, but in August of 2018, the confidential victim reported the incidents to law enforcement," the District Attorney's Office stated in the release.

Merced County Sheriff's Office detectives investigate the allegations by conducting pretext phone calls with Mena-Barba, requesting forensic examinations of potential evidence and interviewing the defendant.

The victim's claims were substantiated through the investigation, according to the release.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three additional charges.

Mena-Barba will return to a Merced County Superior Court for sentencing June 21. He faces up to 32 years in a state prison, plus an additional 15 years to life.

Deputy District Attorney Sara Rosenthal prosecuted the case.

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