TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Dinuba man who sexually assaulted a woman and child for years could face a life sentence in prison, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
The DA says 39-year-old Manuel Luis Villarreal was found guilty of the sexual assault of a woman and child. Attorneys state Villarreal committed the crimes from August 2013 to March 2022 in both Tulare and Dinuba.
While in custody after his arrest, court records state Villarreal tried to bribe and intimidate his victims to discourage their testimony against him.
At trial on Wednesday, attorneys reported Villarreal was convicted of:
- 10 felony counts of child molestation
- Two felony counts of forced oral copulation
- Two felony counts of dissuading a witness
- Two felony counts of attempted dissuading a witness
- One misdemeanor count of contempt of court
The sexual assault crimes are considered strikes under California’s Three Strikes Law.
The DA states Villarreal is set to be sentenced on Sept. 30, where he faces a possible sentence of life in prison.
