On September 23, 2009, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Gerald Sevier imposed a sentence of 10 years in prison on 66-year-old Delton Travis Hughes of Visalia for sex crimes committed against a 10-year-old girl. The victim’s father read an emotional impact statement regarding the negative impact the crime has had on the victim and her family.

On August 26, 2009, the defendant pled no contest to two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. Hughes was already a sex registrant at the time of the current crime because of a prior molestation conviction from 1979. The defendant is now convicted of three strike offenses and will be required to serve 85% of his 10-year sentence before being eligible for parole. His parole can last up to 5 years. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $4,000 restitution fine, to register as a sex offender under Penal Code section 290, and to provide DNA samples under Penal Code section 296.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Bethany M. Gilliland and investigated by Detective Bill Diltz and Officer Jason McWilliams of the Visalia Police Department.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Don Gallian, (559) 733-6411.