Santa Maria man found guilty of sexually assaulting child
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A Santa Maria man accused of sexually assaulting a child was found guilty by a San Luis Obispo County jury on Monday.
Jay Vee Batul Estoque, 29, of Santa Maria was charged with committing a lewd act upon a child under the age of fourteen.
Estoque sexually assaulted the 11-year-old victim between January 2011 and December 2012 in Grover Beach. He was 20 years old at the time.
The crimes went unreported to police until March 2018 when the victim was 17, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office said in a press release.
“This young survivor demonstrated tremendous courage by reporting the crime after its effects were truly realized," SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow said. "We are optimistic that this conviction will encourage victims of sexual assault to report the conduct to law enforcement, even when substantial time has passed since the event. We stand ready to prosecute these deplorable crimes on behalf our community and to bring about justice for victims of child sexual abuse.”
Estoque was put taken to the San Luis Obispo County Jail where he awaits sentencing. He is due back in court for sentencing on March 4.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on two additional counts of sexual assault alleged against the same child victim during the same period of time. A hearing is set for Feb. 5 to determine if those charges will be retried.
