SIMI VALLEY : Man Ordered to Jail for Exposing Himself

A Simi Valley man who exposed himself to at least 21 schoolgirls has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

Marco Antonio Jimenez, 26, had pleaded guilty to three counts of felony child molestation and one count of attempted molestation. He also pleaded guilty to nine misdemeanor molestation counts.

Patricia J. Kelliher, a Ventura County deputy district attorney, said the incidents in the Conejo Valley started in November and ended in February when a composite drawing of the offender and a description of his car led to Jimenez’s arrest. In one of the latter incidents, Jimenez exposed himself to four girls while sitting in his car and then jumped out and chased them, Kelliher said.

Jimenez’s attorney, Joseph H. Lax, asked Superior Court Judge Charles R. McGrath to sentence his client to a year in jail followed by several years of supervised probation. At a hearing Tuesday, he noted that Jimenez has no prior record and worked two jobs so he could send money to his family in Mexico.

A psychiatrist said the sex crimes were due in part to the culture shock that Jimenez went through upon his recent arrival in the United States. The therapist said Jimenez would probably respond to psychiatric treatment.

But McGrath said Jimenez deserved prison time because of the number of victims.

“It’s a pretty stiff sentence for a first offender,” Kelliher said. “But I think it’s a fair sentence. He’s obviously a very dangerous person.”

She said the victims’ reactions to the incidents vary. Some are afraid to walk to school by themselves or are unduly afraid of strangers, she said. Some have complained of nightmares.

Jimenez will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence.