Natharan Giovanni Ruiz found guilty on 13 charges of sexual assault that occurred in Porterville, Lindsay against four underage girls
VISALIA – Natharan Ruiz has officially been convicted of wrongdoing for child molestation crimes that span over the course of six years.
On March 3, Ruiz, 30, was found guilty by a jury for thirteen cases of child molestation against four victims, all of whom were under 14-years-old when the assaults took place. His verdict was delivered by prosecutors with the Tulare County District Attorney’s office at the Tulare County Superior Court in Visalia.
The date for Ruiz’s sentencing is set for May 3, according to the district attorney’s office. For his crimes, he faces 154 years to life in state prison and will also be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his days.
At the trial, Ruiz was found guilty of one count of oral copulation with a minor under ten years old, eleven counts of lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 and one count of contacting a minor. The jury also found true special allegations of substantial sexual conduct and that his crimes were committed against multiple victims. Each count is a felony and 12 of the counts are considered strike offenses.
According to the district attorney’s office, the sexual assault crimes happened in the areas of Porterville and Lindsay. Six of the crimes, and some of the most recent ones, happened between April 5, 2012 and April 4, 2017. These crimes were committed against a girl who was between the ages of nine and 13 when the sexual assaults happened.
Between Nov. 8, 2011 and Nov. 7, 2012, two of the sexual assaults were committed against a girl who was 10-years-old. Another two of the assaults occurred between June 1, 2011 and Jan. 1, 2015 against a girl who was between the ages of nine and 13-years-old. The remaining three assaults took place between Nov. 23, 2015, and Dec. 1, 2015 against a girl who was nine-years-old.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Wayt and was investigated by the Porterville Police Department.
