Man sentenced for sexual crimes

John Cervantes sentenced 16-40 years in prison.

Reno, Nevada. Jan. 21, 2015. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, in Department 10 of the Second Judicial District Court, the Honorable Elliott A. Sattler sentenced John Cervantes to 16-40 years in prison for sexual crimes he committed against his female relative beginning when she was 7-8 years old. The victim, who is now 15 years old, reported the sexual abuse in Aug. 2014. A multi-disciplinary team, coordinated through the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center, investigated the case. The team included authorities from the Reno Police Department Child Abuse Unit, Washoe County Social Services, and the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office.

The defendant entered a guilty plea to two counts of Attempted Sexual Assault on Oct. 14, 2014. The Honorable Elliott A. Sattler of the Second Judicial District Court followed the state’s recommendation and sentenced the defendant to serve 8-20 years on each count, to run consecutively, for a total of 16-40 years in the Nevada Department of Corrections. This is the maximum sentence allowed by law.

Chris Fortier of the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office represented the defendant. Deputy District Attorney Peg Samples represented the state.

The Washoe County Child Advocacy Center opened June 13, 2014. Its mission is to ensure the health and safety of a child through a neutral, child-centered environment. The new center is designed to minimize trauma and provide advocacy for the child and non-offending caregivers and support effective investigations.

If you have any questions, please contact Peg Samples at 328-3229.

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