Salinas man sentenced to prison for sexually abusing child for years

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) A Salinas man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing a child on a weekly basis for years and trying to get her mother to drop charges.

Last month, 49-year-old Jose Alejandro Diaz was found guilty of one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and two counts of attempting to dissuade a witness.

Investigators said he molested the victim when she was between the ages on 9 and 11 in Salinas. The victim said she did not tell anyone because Diaz told her his son would grow up with a father like her, and while the case was pending, investigators said they caught Diaz asking her mother to drop the charges multiple times.

The District Attorney's Office found that Diaz abused his position of trust and took advantage of a vulnerable. In addition to prison time, he will be required to register as a sex offender for life.