San Francisco Man Sentenced Following Conviction For Molesting 9-Year-Old
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco prosecutors announced Wednesday that a man convicted of molesting his friend's 9-year-old daughter repeatedly over the course several years was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
Willie Rodriguez, 72, of San Francisco was sentenced after a jury found him guilty of committing lewd acts on a minor and child molestation, prosecutors said.
The ongoing abuse first came to light when the victim and her mother called police on May 24, 2014 to report the crimes, which according to prosecutors, occurred when she was in third and fourth grades.
On one occasion, Rodriguez took the girl into a bathroom and began touching his genitals while simultaneously fondling her. On another occasion, Rodriguez exposed himself to the victim as she watched TV in her room, prosecutors said.
Although Rodriguez and the victim are not related by blood, he referred to her as his granddaughter and spent many nights at the home, under the guise of providing support to the girl and her family, prosecutors said.
"The actions of this individual violate our basic notions of family and trust," District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. "Children are meant to be protected by their loved ones, not violated by those entrusted with their well-being."
"I am in awe of the courage and resolve that the young girl in this case showed by describing the details of what happened to her," Assistant District Attorney Adam Maldonado said in a statement. "She deserves all the credit for the outcome in this case."
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