ST. LOUIS — Three St. Louis County girls came forward to report they were sexually abused by a family member. The man they accused was sentenced to two 30-year prison sentences Friday.
More than a decade after those abuses, two of those girls were vindicated when a St. Louis County jury found Gerardo Gonzalez, 40, guilty of two counts of sodomizing children younger than 12.
Between 2003 and 2010, Gonzalez abused the girls who were relatives of his then-wife in Woodson Terrace and Overland, Missouri, according to the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office.
He was sentenced to 30 years for each count, but despite Missouri laws that mandate back-to-back sentences for this crime, these sentences will be served consecutively because the crimes happened before those mandates were passed.
Gonzalez, who had moved to Kansas City since the alleged crimes, was acquitted of the third count of sodomy and maintains his innocence.
His three accusers, now young women, testified at Gonzalez's trial, and so did his brother.
The lawyer representing Gonzales asked to consider deporting him to Mexico after his first parole hearing.
Relatives of the victims represented them at Gonzalez's sentencing hearing. The relatives said the victims continue to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts— "all because of this man," referring to Gonzales.
"Child victims of sex crimes frequently come forward many years later, if at all, for complex reasons that this jury clearly understood," said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in an emailed news release. "In this sentence, the court showed proper respect for the jury's decisions, the victims' suffering, and the seriousness of this crime."
