Serial O.C. child molester re-committed to mental hospital

A twice-convicted Orange County child molester will be re-committed to a state mental hospital after a jury unanimously found Wednesday that he remains a threat to children and the community.

Carlos Dominguez, 65, was convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old female relative in 1979 and a 10-year-old daughter of a family friend in 1986 while on trips to Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland.

It’s the second time the Orange County District Attorney’s Office filed a petition to have Dominguez committed as a sexually violent predator under a state law. A jury agreed with prosecutors, finding he would likely reoffend if released.

In 1996, Dominguez marked the first time Orange County authorities used the state’s then-new “sexual predator” law. He was hours away from release when investigators with the district attorney’s office arrived at the state prison in Chino to take him to a local court hearing.

“He was very upset when he found out what he was in court for,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Charles Middleton told the Times at the time.

In 1979, Dominguez took his 10-year-old relative to Knott’s Berry Farm as a birthday gift. After getting on a few rides he asked her if she wanted to put her purse away in the van.

Once there, he took off her clothes and blindfolded her before sexually assaulting her, covering her mouth to stifle her screams. Dominguez was found guilty of one felony count of lewd and lascivious acts on a minor and sentenced to three years in state prison.

Dominguez was released on parole in 1983, but was sent back to state prison for violating his parole in 1985 for false imprisonment and battery. He was released in 1986.

About two months after his release, Dominguez met a 10-year-old daughter of a family friend. He asked her mother if he could take her to Disneyland with his girlfriend and other young girls.

After getting on rides and eating lunch, Dominguez took the victim to his van and told her he had candy in the backseat. He then took off her clothes, blindfolded her and touched her vagina. He continued to assault her, covering her nose and mouth when she began to cry and scream.

He pleaded guilty to one felony count of forcible lewd and lascivious acts upon a minor and was sentenced to 11 years in state prison.

Upon his release, Dominguez again violated his parole by not residing in the address he was registered as a sex offender. Authorities also saw him driving three underage girls to school.

A search of his car found a key to the apartment where he picked up two of the girls, a baseball bat, wood club, nylon rope, work gloves, a stun gun, 12 large chocolate bars and several unopened condoms.

He was sent back to prison for 11 months and released December 1995. A month later he contacted the girls from his previous parole violation. Police found a letter with the minor’s address and a stockpile of ammunition.

Dominguez was sent back to state prison for violating parole.

Under California’s sexually violent predator law, offenders are subject to mental health reviews by the Department of Mental Health before they finish out their sentence.

In order to be civilly committed, a jury must find them guilty of at least one sexually violent offense. The person must also be diagnosed with a mental health disorder and they must be found likely to reoffend unless they’re held in custody.

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adolfo.flores@latimes.com

Twitter: @AdolfoFlores3