A San Juan Bautista man was charged with child molestation this
week.
William Lavagnino, 53, was charged by the district attorney’s
office with 13 counts of child molestation or counts relating to
child molestation. If convicted of all charges, he could get eight
years in prison, D.A. John Sarsfield said.
A San Juan Bautista man was charged with child molestation this week.
William Lavagnino, 53, was charged by the district attorney’s office with 13 counts of child molestation or counts relating to child molestation. If convicted of all charges, he could get eight years in prison, D.A. John Sarsfield said.
However, Sarsfield said he could give hardly any details on the case because he wants to protect the identity of the child Lavagnino is suspected of molesting.
“We really can’t,” Sarsfield said. “The victim is very young.”
What he did say, however, is that sheriff’s deputies found “a massive amount of evidence” in Lavagnino’s home before he was arrested. Included in the evidence were letters, he added. But most chilling of the material found was a sort of how-to manual that instructed how to stalk and abduct a victim. Authorities believe Lavagnino obtained the manual from the Internet.
Lavagnino is related to a well-established family in the San Juan Bautista area. Sarsfield said Lavagnino has retained an attorney in Santa Cruz, but it is not known who yet.
