WCDA Prosecution Outcome

Conviction on Multiple Child Lewdness Charges Results in Consecutive Life Terms

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has secured consecutive life sentences against a defendant convicted on lewdness charges. Fidel Jimenez-Zarate, 35 years (dob 8/20/85) from Reno was recently convicted of two counts of Lewdness with a Child under 14 Years and sentenced on September 16, 2020 in Washoe County District Court by Judge Elliot Sattler to consecutive life terms in prison with parole eligibility after 20 years has been served. Jimenez-Zarate was also convicted on one count of Attempted Lewdness with a Child Under 14 Years and sentenced to an additional term of 4 to 10 year, bringing his parole eligibility date to after a minimum of 24 years has been served.

The case against Jimenez-Zarate, began in January 2018 when detectives with the Reno Police Department (RPD) responded to a report of lewdness involving a 13-year-old female victim. Based on the investigation, RPD detectives determined that the victim had been abused over the course of the previous five years by a relative of the child’s family.   Jimenez-Zarate was subsequently arrested and pled guilty in May.

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Nicole Hicks argued that Jimenez-Zarate violated the most sacred levels of trust, by victimizing a child, who was also part of his family. Despite these many violations, the victim in this case showed the courage to speak out and end this abuse.