Man convicted of child abuse and sentenced to 281 years in prison

PHOENIX — A man convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing five children was sentenced this week to 281 years in prison, authorities said.

In April, a jury found Gerardo Estrada, 34, guilty of 13 counts of sexual abuse of minors. In a statement, the Maricopa County Prosecutor's Office said the five children lived with Estrada during the abuse and ranged in age from 5 to 16 years old.

“These young victims suffered horrific abuse from a very young age,” Maricopa County Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell said. “It is truly an act of bravery for everyone to have mustered the strength to speak out against these crimes.”

During sentencing, one of the victims addressed the court, Mitchell said at a June 5 news conference.

“I'm at a loss for words to explain what [he] done to me and my [sibling]”, the victim said. “No prison sentence can make up for the harm you have caused.”

Estrada received what is known as a fixed sentence, meaning he cannot be released until he has served his entire 281-year sentence.

“They will live with emotional scars and painful memories for the rest of their lives,” Mitchell said in a news release. “For these reasons and many others, this criminal deserves the punishment imposed by the court.”

Mitchell urges anyone who has witnessed child abuse to report it to police and the Arizona Department of Child Safety at 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445) or ChildHelp at 1-800-422-4453.

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