Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch announced on Friday that Gonzalo Cuevas, 61, formerly of Goleta, has been sentenced to 48 years in state prison for three counts of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.
The sentence was handed down by Judge Pauline Maxwell in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
Cuevas fled to Mexico before his arrest but was extradited after a relentless investigation led by Detective Martha Sosa of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.
After his return and arraignment in January 2024, six additional victims came forward, revealing abuse dating back to the late 1970s.
Though those allegations could not be charged due to legal limitations, the district attorney's office says their courage played a crucial role in holding Cuevas accountable.
They add that the three charged victims' bravery, along with the prosecution led by Senior Deputy District Attorney Lauren Franco, brought a decades-long cycle of abuse to an end.
