Felon Who Molested Family Member In Moreno Valley Sentenced

RIVERSIDE, CA — A felon who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young family member in Moreno Valley was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve 50 years to life behind bars.

Jesus Alfredo Mejia, 38, pleaded guilty in March to raping a minor, forcible lewd acts on a child and two counts of aggravated sexual assault on a minor, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of being under the influence of a controlled substance in the commission of a sexual offense. Under the plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, prosecutors dropped more than a dozen related charges against Mejia.

During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Monday, Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Ed Baeza, in September 2020, detectives were alerted to acts of child molestation involving the defendant at a residence in the 15000 block of Carolina Avenue.

Over a roughly four-week span, they gathered evidence indicating Mejia had been abusing the victim, identified only as a young girl related to him, going back to 2012, according to sheriff's officials.

He was arrested without incident on Oct. 23, 2020.

Child pornography was found in the defendant's possession, Baeza said, but it was unclear whether any of the material included photographs or video of the victim.

Court records show Mejia had a prior conviction for obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Records also indicated that he was charged in 2003 with sexual assault and domestic violence, but the charges were dropped months later without explanation.

—City News Service