Seaside man sentenced to 10 years for child molestation

A Seaside man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for child molestation that continued for more than seven years, Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo said.

Filemon Suarez Arias, 61, was sentenced on two counts of child molestation.

Judge Andrew Liu sentenced Arias after the victim recounted the abuse.

The victim, supported by her family, therapist and Jackie Mreoney who investigated the case as a Seaside police officer and district attorney investigator, also received support from Odie, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office support dog.

Arias was the boyfriend of the victim’s grandmother and had access to her from a very young age. He manipulated her into joining him in his room by offering to teach her to play the guitar and to play dolls with her. The sexual molestation continued until the victim finally reported the abuse to a counselor.

Because both charges of which he was convicted are considered ‘strikes’ under California’s three strikes law and are also violent felonies, the defendant will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being released. Arias will have to register for the rest of his life as a sexual offender.