District Attorney Dan Dow announced Wednesday, a San Luis Obispo County judge sentenced 36-year-old Daniel Ramirez Gutierrez to 435 years to life in state prison for 19 counts of sexual abuse of two children and one adult. The crimes occurred in both San Luis Obispo and Contra Costa counties.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Craig van Rooyen heard directly from the crime victims via video conference about the severe impact of the sexual abuse on their lives.
California sentencing law provides lengthy prison terms and life in prison for certain sex crimes committed against children. County officials say life sentences such as this provide some protection for young children by way of deterring predators from committing these devastating crimes, punishment for the sex offender, and protection for the community at large from these predators.
“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 this long sentence will not undo the harm done to these young people, it does send an unmistakable message that sexual abuse of children is reprehensible and will not be tolerated in our community.”
Last month, Ramirez Gutierrez was convicted of charges that include sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10, committing a lewd act on a child under the age of 14, forcible rape, and forcible oral copulation. The crimes involved two children and one adult and occurred over several years.
Ramirez Gutierrez was arrested in March 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport. Authorities said he was attempting to get on a one-way flight to South America.
