A man convicted of sex crimes committed against an 11-year-old girl was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison.
In July, a San Luis Obispo County jury found Tanner Fite, 23, of Atascadero guilty of four counts of committing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14.
The crimes occurred in San Luis Obispo between September and October 2023. Fite also reportedly viewed more than two dozen pornographic videos while he was babysitting the victim and tried to hide that evidence from law enforcement.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued that Fite should receive the maximum sentence of 14 years.
Superior Court Judge Jesse Marino found the following aggravating factors true — that the victim was particularly vulnerable, that Fite took advantage of a position of trust while committing the crimes, and that he engaged in violent conduct indicating a serious danger to society. However, the judge also found two factors in mitigation — that Fite has an insignificant criminal record and he was under the age of 26 when he committed the crime.
In a statement, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Down said he was disappointed in the judge's ruling.
"In San Luis Obispo County, we vigorously prosecute child predators and fully enforce California law to protect children - our most vulnerable citizens," Dow said. "While we are disappointed with the light prison sentence, I am very proud of the young victim who displayed immense strength when she reported the crime and later testified in court. Her courage will inspire other survivors to report so that justice can be served to predators like Mr. Fite."
