Jonathan Fidone, the Hollister man convicted of molesting a 19-month-old child, received a sentence Wednesday of 23 years to life in prison.
Fidone, age 23, was sentenced after his July conviction for molesting the child. He was found guilty on felony counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, forcible lewd act upon a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child stemming from an incident in July 2010.
Judge Steven Sanders on Wednesday handed down the sentence, which included 15 years to life for sexual assault of a child, along with eight years for lewd acts, according to court records. Fidone received credit for time served of 683 days.
Fidone was ordered to pay restitution to the victim of $2,384, along with other court restitution fines, according to the records.
The sentencing two weeks after visiting Judge Alfonso Fernandez denied the motion from Fidone’s attorney, Art Cantu, for a new trial based on accusations of juror misconduct. Fernandez ruled that the accused juror had not been biased against the defendant, according to court records.
A San Benito County jury in July 2011 found Fidone guilty after a five-day trial. Fidone was arrested July 17, 2010, after a witness saw him in a locked bedroom with the child. After breaking down the door, the witness saw Fidone performing lewd acts on the child.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from four Hollister officers, a nurse and two forensic-science technicians from the California Department of Justice. Other testimony included the witness and the child’s mother. Hospital records, pictures and blood evidence were used as well.
