Greenfield Man Sentenced to 36 Years in Prison for 15 Counts of Child Molestation

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Tuesday, April 26 that the Honorable Mark E. Hood sentenced 49-year-old Gerardo Silva of Greenfield to 36 years in prison for committing 15 counts of a lewd act upon a child under 14 years old. All the offenses are violent felonies and are considered “strikes” under California’s Three Strikes law. Jane Doe 1 reported that Gerardo Silva, a family member had molested her on many occasions for several years. Jane Doe 1 was under 10 years old at the time the molests began. Jane Doe 1’s brave disclosure to law enforcement, many years after the crime occurred, resulted in 2 other victims disclosing abuse by Silva. Jane Doe 2 reported that Silva had molested her on one occasion when she was around 8 years old. Jane Doe 3 reported that Silva had molested her on several occasions when she was around 10 years old. According to research into sexual assault victim behavior, it is very common for victims to delay reporting the sexual abuse, especially when the victim is a minor and has a close relationship with the perpetrator. This case was investigated by Detective Paulo Diaz and other members of the Greenfield Police Department. The victims in this case were assisted by District Attorney Victim Advocate Sonia Buenrostro.