An Oknard man who was harassing child services in the late 1980s was sentenced to 480 years in prison Monday because prosecutors said he spent nearly a decade after releasing his family’s two young children.
The jury found Marcelino Arias Arca, 68, guilty of six felony charges against a child last month. According to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, the jury also found a special charge that there were multiple victims.
Court records show Arca admitted special charges of other strike convictions about harassment, which led to his lengthy verdict. Prosecutors said Arca was found guilty of harassment in 1988, but did not provide details about the case.
“Decades ago, the defendant was jailed for sexually abused his child. On the second chance, he chose not to change – instead, he continued to sexually abuse his two children, this time within his own family,” the senior deputy. Atti. Ben Moreno said in a statement. “This sentence reflects the serious and lasting harm he has caused and sends a clear message that child sexual abuse cannot be tolerated, especially by repeated offenders.”
Prosecutors said Arca was arrested in 2022 after authorities said he abused two children under the age of 14 between 2005 and 2014. The abuse was not revealed until the two victims reported it to family members a few years later.
“I appreciate the two victims because they stood up and faced the abuser,” Moreno said. “The defendant will never have another chance to hurt the child because of their heroism.”
