Mills man convicted of child sex abuse for 40 years

CASPER, Wyo. — A Mills resident was sentenced Friday to 16-18 years in prison on child sex abuse charges involving seven victims over a four-decade period. Three of the victims who suffered abuse in the 1980s spoke at the hearing. One of them said he was convinced there had been many more victims.

Feliciano Quiroz, 62, pleaded guilty in Alford in January. The plea came just weeks after Nolan County, Texas, served an extradition warrant for Quiroz on two counts of indecent liberties with a child, according to court records.

“He is clearly a serial perpetrator of sexual abuse,” Assistant District Attorney Ava Covert said, saying Quiroz primarily targeted prepubescent boys, with the victims ranging in age from 4 to 13.

The state had agreed to limit its sentencing argument for the second-degree charges to 18 years. She said the state met with each victim about the plea deal.

“The general consensus was that no amount of time is enough,” but Covert said they also approved the deal because it guaranteed a conviction and spared them from reliving their experiences by testifying at trial.

Alford's guilty plea essentially means that the defendant maintains his innocence but prefers to enter a plea rather than challenge the state's evidence at trial. Covert said this indicates a lack of accountability similarly reflected in the current investigation report.

“I'm sorry for what I did,” Quiroz said while addressing the adult victims he abused in the 1980s. Quiroz also said he doesn't remember it and that he 'would admit if he did. He said the same thing happened to him. He also told them he was “a different person now.”

In May 2022, a man in his 40s went to the Mills Police Department to tell investigators about the abuse he suffered at Quiroz's Mills home in the summer of 1990, when he had about 12 years old. Another man interviewed a week later spoke of abuse. when he was the same age in 1982, according to the Mills PD affidavit. Testimonies were then collected from other victims.

Quiroz was first arrested on these charges in August 2022

The investigation revealed Quiroz was questioned by Casper police about another victim in 2017. Mills police contacted the mother, who said she still wanted to press charges.

“There is much more [victims] here today,” MW said. “We didn’t know how to come together and get something done. It cost me many years of happiness. He previously told Oil City News that it was common for Quiroz to babysit the children of working parents and single mothers at his residence.

“What should have been some of the best years of our lives were stolen,” said a man with the initials KD.

All three men who spoke similarly reported lifelong struggles with isolation, insecurity, trauma, and addiction. MW said he wished action had been taken sooner.

“I wish I had that detective and prosecutor back then,” MW said, referring to the presence of Mills Police Detective Justin Lindberg.

Judge Catherine Wilking commented at length on the case during sentencing, saying the victims were “mere objects” to Quiroz.

“My heart goes out to the children who are now grown men who have experienced shame, anger, suicidal behavior and want to take matters into their own hands. »

Wilking praised all the victims for being willing to testify despite the risk of being retraumatized.

“Without these courageous steps, we would not be here today,” Wilking said.

Quiroz will get credit for 168 days served.

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