Child Sexual Offernder to Serve Multiple Life Terms

WCDA Sentencing Result from August Trial

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office (WCDA) has secured a sentence of 6 consecutive life terms against a defendant convicted earlier this year on multiple counts of sexual assault and lewdness against a child.  Jose Borja-Ruiz 31, from Reno was found guilty in August of four counts of Sexual Assault of a Child Under 14 Years of Age and two counts of Lewdness with a Child Under 14 Years of Age.  As a result of Tuesday’s sentencing, Borja-Ruiz must serve a minimum of 160 years in prison before parole eligibility would begin.

Case Details:

On November 17, 2016, detectives with the Reno Police Department (RPD) responded to a report of a pregnant 11 year old girl who had disclosed to medical personnel during an exam that the baby she was carrying was fathered by a male relative who had been sexually abusing her since she was eight. The victim was transported to the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) where a multi-disciplinary team responded to the sexual abuse case.  This team included a WCDA prosecutor who specializes in child abuse cases, RPD Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit Detectives, Reno Police Department victim advocate, Washoe County Human Services Agency social workers, CAC medical staff, and mental health professionals affiliated with the CAC.

The subsequent investigation revealed that the girl had been sexually abused over the course of several years by Borja-Ruiz.  Borja-Ruiz was arrested and this office filed formal criminal charges against him.

In the August Trial, Chief Deputy District Attorney (CDDA) Nicole Hicks presented evidence that confirmed the defendant was the biological father of the victim’s child. In Tuesday’s sentencing, CDDA Hicks argued that Borja-Ruiz deserved the maximum possible sentence.  In a powerful Victim Impact Statement to the court, the victim addressed the defendant and stated, “Just like you stole my childhood I hope you never get your adulthood.”  In handing down the lengthy sentence, District Court Judge Jerome Polaha cited to that statement ensuring that Borja-Ruiz will spend his adulthood in prison.