Former Child Molester Caught With Child Porn Gets 13 Years in Prison

Bay City News Service

A Daly City man with a prior child molestation conviction was sentenced to 13 years in prison this week after a parole search turned up a large stash of child pornography in his home, including shots of neighborhood girls, prosecutors said today.

Ronald Ernest Morales, 57, was convicted on Sept. 27, 2012 of possession of child pornography after a court trial before a judge, according to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The child pornography was discovered during a June 7, 2011 parole search of Morales' home on Franciscan Way.

Police found what Wagstaffe called an "enormous cache" of child pornography, showing girls aged 6-14, in boxes scattered throughout the house. 

The cache also included videos zooming in on the body parts of young neighborhood girls.

Morales had prior 2002 child molestation and child pornography convictions in connection with incidents involving a 12-year-old neighborhood girl, Wagstaffe said.

While the case constituted a third strike - meaning Morales could
have been eligible for a sentence of 25 years to life - the court on Thursday granted a defense motion to dismiss one of two prior strikes for the purposes of sentencing, Wagstaffe said.

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