Convicted child molester sentenced to life in prison
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A Santa Rosa judge sentenced a 62-year-old man to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting four different children.
Thomas Anthony Yanes of Santa Rosa previously pleaded guilty to four offenses involving sexual assault against a child, one of which was specifically for a child under 10 years old, and two separate offenses involving lewd acts against a child under 14.
According to court files, a victim told police in 2022 about a series of sexual abuse from Yanes between 2007 and 2009. She said Yanes manipulated her to stay silent, and that there may be other victims.
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By July 2022, police said they interviewed three additional victims, who all described similar experiences of being groomed and abused by Yanes.
Yanes was arrested in November 2022, and he faced 12 offenses involving sexual abuse of children between ages 10 and 12.
The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said victims and their family members spoke out about how Yanes betrayed their trust and caused pain and damage to their families during impact statements.
Judge Mark Urioste said Yanes' actions were "terrible," and that nothing he could say would give closure, but he admired the women's steps they took to heal from these abuses.