A man who molested a number of children in Ventura County is finally in state prison for his crimes more than two decades after they happened.
In 1999, Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives in Thousand Oaks received information that a man may have molested some little girls. They say Julio Anaya had sexually abused five girls between the ages of six and 11. He was arrested, but was freed on $250,000 bail. But, Anaya failed to show up for his next court appearance in early 2000. He had fled the country to his native country, El Salvador.
Detectives kept an eye out for him. They learned a few years ago he returned to the U.S. He was found living in Maryland in 2018, and was re-arrested. Anaya was extradited back to Ventura County.
Last November, he pled guilty to seven molestation counts. This month, he was sentenced to 24 years in state prison, and ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution.
