Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Jesus Gonzalez-Arteaga, a 44-year-old Oxnard resident, was convicted on Thursday, April 9, 2026, of six felony counts related to the molestation and rape of a child. The jury found Gonzalez-Arteaga guilty of continuous sexual abuse, three counts of unlawful acts with a child 10 years and under, forcible rape, and possession of child sexual abuse material. All special allegations and aggravating circumstances were found true, including that he inflicted great bodily injury during the commission of forcible rape. This aggravating circumstance makes Gonzalez-Arteaga’s sentence mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole (LWOP).
Between 2018 and 2024, Gonzalez-Arteaga molested and raped a young victim continuously from the time she was six years old to eleven years old. The victim reported the abuse to a trusted family member and eventually to police. Gonzalez-Arteaga gained access to the victim through a familial relationship and shared household.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuted the case.
“The defendant committed the ultimate betrayal of a child he was supposed to protect,” Ms. Atmore said. “Although the victim will likely suffer with the memories of her abuse for the rest of her life, the jury’s swift and just verdict ensures the defendant will never hurt another child.”
Gonzalez-Arteaga is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 26 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He faces a mandatory LWOP sentence, plus 91 years and 8 months. He remains in custody without bail.