Coachella man convicted of sexually abusing children sentenced

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - A 75-year-old Coachella man who was convicted of child sexual abuse charges was sentenced today to 16 years in state prison.   

Last month, Ysidro Anaya Sanchez pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. No charges were dismissed.   

During a sentencing hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Kristi Hester imposed the term of imprisonment stipulated by the prosecution and defense.

According to prosecutors, Sanchez groped a girl between June 2015 and June 2016, and molested another girl in July and August 2019.

The defendant was arrested on Jan. 15, 2020, following a sheriff's department investigation initiated after one of the victims came forward.

Investigator Prezell Burgie wrote in a bail-setting declaration that Sanchez admitted to detectives he had a "problem" with his sexual impulses.

"I asked him if his `problem' is touching young girls, and he said `yes,''' Burgie said.   

No other details were provided.   

The defendant had been in the county correctional system since his arrest more than six years ago.   

He had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.