Ninth Judicial District Attorney, Andrea Reeb, announced that Joseph S. Mondragon, age 49, of Clovis, was sentenced yesterday [Thursday] on numerous counts of Criminal Sexual Penetration and Criminal Sexual Contact. A Curry County jury found Mondragon guilty of eleven (11) different counts involving three different victims after a two-day trial on May 26 and 27, 2016.
The crimes occurred over a four-year period of time beginning in 2010. At the time the crimes began, two of the victims were only five and six years of age and the other victim was 13. Police were first notified of the crimes in August of 2013 when the victim’s father found sexually explicit text messages on his daughter’s cell phone from Mondragon. Mondragon is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2003 of sexual crimes against children.
The Honorable Fred Van Soelen presided over the sentencing hearing today and, after listening to letters written by the family members of the victim, He imposed a sentence of 64 years in prison. The sentence includes enhancements of 11 years due to Mondragon having prior felony convictions. Judge Van Soelen told the defendant that his sentence was to ensure that no more children could be harmed. “I can say, you are a sexual predator. I have crafted this sentence to ensure that you can never hurt a child again,” said Judge Van Soelen when pronouncing his sentence.
Deputy District Attorney, Jake Boazman, prosecuted the case for the State and criminal defense attorney, Sandra Gallagher represented the defendant.
For more information, please contact the District Attorney’s Office at 575-769-2246.
(News release from the New Mexico Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office)
