Jury trial conviction reached in child molestation case

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On Tuesday, a Kern County jury found Cesar Valenzuela Soto guilty of three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14 and one count of annoying or molesting a child under 18 years old, the jury also found that Valenzuela Soto molested multiple victims.

The case was prosecuted by DDA Alexandria Ottoman.

During the second half of 2018, Valenzuela Soto molested four girls between the ages of 11 and 17 that he had known for years.

Initial reports of the molestation of one victim were brought to the attention of the Pastor of a Church attended by both the defendant and all of the victims, subsequently the pastor confronted Valenzuela Soto, he admitted to the molestation.

After an additional investigation, it was revealed that there were three other child victims.

Because the acts of molestation occurred in both Kern County and in Los Angeles County, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and Los Angeles Police Department collaborated on the investigation of the case.

Advised of the conviction, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented, “Today we received favorable verdicts in two major felony cases involving child victims. In the Kaleb Kessinger case, a guilty verdict was obtained regarding the first-degree murder of an infant, and here in the Valenzuela Soto case, guilty verdicts were obtained for a pattern of molestation affecting four separate victims – three of which were under 14 years old. The dedicated prosecutors of the Special Victims and Homicide units of the DA’s office have repeatedly shown their commitment to justice for our community’s most vulnerable victims.”

Valenzuela Soto faces between 15 and 45 years to life in prison as a result of the convictions.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 29 in Division H of the Kern County Superior Court before the Honorable Greg Pulskamp.