A Chula Vista man who pleaded guilty to molesting underage girls and possessing more than 1,000 videos of child sex abuse material — including videos depicting himself abusing minors — was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state prison.
Antonio Medina Jr., 33, was initially charged in connection with more than 1,000 illicit videos he possessed involving children, but investigators later found more videos on a laptop showing Medina molesting nine girls between the ages of 4 and 9, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Medina recorded the videos between 2011 and 2015, and a nearly yearlong investigation helped investigators in San Diego, as well as in other parts of California and Texas, identify some of the victims and pursue prosecution.
“Some victims remain unidentified, and prosecutors expressed hope that they seek trauma and other supportive services for the crimes committed on them,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Medina pleaded guilty to three felony counts of lewd acts on a child and one count of possessing child pornography.
“Child molesters, who are often trusted people within families, harm children in the worst way, stealing their innocence and causing years of trauma and pain,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “They usually don’t stop until they are discovered and stopped by law enforcement. We want victims of child molestation and their families to know that coming forward and reporting allows justice to prevail and stops these predators from hurting any other child.”
