EL PASO COUNTY – A Colorado Springs woman says her family is getting a little bit of justice after the man who sexually assaulted her four-year-old granddaughter is now in jail.
On Wednesday, 53-year-old Hector Gonzalez was sentenced to 90 days in jail for the crime, something the victim’s family has been fighting for.
News 5 reported back in February that Gonzalez did plead guilty to sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust and unlawful sexual contact with the possibility that he might not face any jail time if the judge were to follow the district attorney’s recommendation.
Valerie Montoya, the victim’s grandmother, said, “I was very upset because how could that happen? How could anybody get away with that?”
It was in February when Montoya learned that the man who had sexually assaulted her granddaughter might not go to jail. The situation – it’s torn her family apart.
“My granddaughter is, as I explained earlier, is not in school, she’s self-harming. There’s bad things happening, very bad things happening.”
When asked if she feels like justice was served, Montoya said, ” I think the DA working for the 90 days, it helped me take this a little bit better…I just don’t feel he should’ve been able to walk out of here without some time being served for what he’s done.”
News 5 learned from the prosecution that it’s not the first time Gonzalez has engaged in this kind of behavior, that there have been several other girls he has touched. However, until now he’s never been convicted.
Montoya said, “To know there were other families – this should never have even happened.”
As for her granddaughter, who is now five years old, Montoya said, “I want her to be okay. I want her to get in therapy. I want her to just be a little girl.”
Besides jail time Gonzalez was also sentenced to four years SOISP (Sexual Offender Intensive Supervision Probation) and four years deferred for unlawful sexual contact.
He will have to register as a sex offender in Colorado. Once he’s released from jail Gonzalez can start the transfer process to do his treatment in New York where he now lives.
