Salinas man sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting teen family member

A Salinas man, 22-year-old Sergio Jardinez-Soto, has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting an underage relative. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In April, Jardinez-Soto was found guilty by a jury of forcible digital penetration of a minor during a 2-week trial.

In August 2017, the 15-year-old victim said her single mother had recently lost her home and the family was homeless. Her mother asked a family member if she could sleep in their home so she did not have to sleep in a car.

The family let the girl sleep in the garage of the home where Jardinez-Soto also slept. During her third night there, she said Jardinez-Soto sexually assaulted her.