A Goleta man likely will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of eight felony counts related to the years-long sexual abuse of two underage girls.
A Santa Barbara Superior Court jury convicted Miguel Angel Gaspar-Ovalle, 60, on four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, three counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child, and one count of sexual penetration of a child age 14 or under.
Gaspar-Ovalle was found guilty on Thursday after a 3-week trial during which the two survivors, now young adults, testified against him.
He is facing a maximum sentence of 150 years to life in prison.
Gaspar-Ovalle was family friends with the two girls — identified in court as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — and dated Jane Doe 1’s mother for a while, according to Deputy District Attorney Sarah Barkley.
The crimes against Jane Doe 2 occurred between 2012 and 2013 while the crimes against Jane Doe 1 occurred between 2016 and 2019.
In 2021, the young women shared what happened with a trusted adult, who reported the case to law enforcement, Barkley said.
Gaspar-Ovalle was arrested in November 2021 at his job in Goleta, and has remained at the Southern Branch County Jail since.
His sentencing hearing will be on Sept. 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Judge Von Deroian’s courtroom.