(LOS ANGELES) – Today, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto announced that her office has secured an eight-year jail sentence and mandatory sex offender registration for Danilo Gamboa who was convicted of 14 criminal charges related to his sexual abuse of a 14-year-old minor. Gamboa was also convicted of child endangerment for inflicting physical pain and mental suffering on another, younger minor victim. In addition to being sentenced to eight years in county jail and having to register as a sex offender for life, Gamboa was ordered to provide a DNA sample for law enforcement analysis, pay a sex offender fine of $300 and is subject to a Criminal Protective Order for 10 years.
Feldstein Soto announced two other convictions involving the sexual abuse of children. In both cases, the defendants were found guilty, sentenced to five years in county jail and ordered to register as sex offenders.
“The sexual assaults and related crimes perpetrated against these victims were a shocking violation of the trust and safety of our children. Securing these jail sentences is a testament to the children’s resilience and affirms our commitment to justice and public safety,” said Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney. “Child sex abuse cases are especially difficult to prosecute due to their sensitive nature and the emotional toll they can take on children, their families and all those involved in the case. I am proud of my team’s professionalism and tenacity in representing the People of the State of California and protecting our children in these matters.”
Gamboa was found guilty on 15 criminal counts in total, including one count of sexual penetration with a person under the age of 18, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of sexual battery, nine counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act (inappropriate touching) upon a child age 14 or 15, one count of attempting to commit a lewd or lascivious act up a child age 14 or 15, and one count of child endangerment. The crimes were committed between April and August of 2022.
On May 31, 2024, the court sentenced Gamboa to eight years in county jail and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life.
The full list of charges for which Gamboa was found guilty:
- Penal Code §289(h) - (Sexual Penetration with Person under 18))
- Penal Code §288(c)(1) (9 counts) - (Lewd Act upon a child 14/15 Years of Age)
- Penal Code §261.5(d) - (Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with minor under 16 Years of Age)
- Penal Code §243.4(a) (2 counts) - (Sexual Battery by Restraint)
- Penal Code §664/288(c)(1) - (Attempted Lewd Act upon a child 14/15 Years of Age)
- Penal Code 273a(b) - (Child Abuse - great injury not likely)
In a second case, Ernesto Orellana was sentenced to five years in county jail, and ordered to register as a sex offender and undergo one year of psychological counseling, after being convicted of five counts of child molestation and sexual battery for molesting three minor girls, ages 5-12. In the third matter, Santos Sotelo was sentenced to five years in county jail and required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of nine counts of child molestation and sexual battery against a 10-year-old.
Feldstein Soto has made protecting children a cornerstone of her work on public safety. She is currently leading efforts to address the sex trafficking of minors along the Figueroa corridor in South LA and plans to expand this initiative in other parts of the city. She has also worked with the California State Legislature to introduce a number of measures to strengthen laws related to child prostitution, the sex offender registry and sex offenses involving minors.
Dr. Jane Halladay Goldman, Director of the Rape Treatment Center, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, reports that an estimated one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday, most commonly by someone they know. Dr. Goldman stated that “Many of these children tell no one, often reluctant to report the abuse due to feelings such as shame and fear of not being believed or of being blamed. Often they have been told by the abuser to remain silent.” She added that “Parents should reassure their children that they can disclose the abuse to their parents without fear of being blamed.”
The staff of the Rape Treatment Center and its Stuart House program for sexually abused children is available to help children and adolescents as well as parents who are concerned that their children may have experienced abuse. All of their services are free of charge, and their number is 424-259-7208.
Criminal case #2CJ03588: https://shorturl.at/OTbmw
The People of the State of California, Plaintiff, v. Danilo Gamboa, Defendant.
Criminal case #1AR00827: https://shorturl.at/Sh5jg
The People of the State of California, Plaintiff, v. Ernesto Orellana, Defendant.
Criminal case #2AR00455: https://shorturl.at/BabYj
The People of the State of California, Plaintiff, v. Santos Sotelo, Defendant.
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Hydee Feldstein Soto is the 43rd Los Angeles City Attorney, elected in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Her team of more than 1,000 legal professionals, including 550 attorneys, carries out legal work for the City of Los Angeles at her direction and under her supervision. She is the first female City Attorney in L.A. history.