Madera man convicted of molesting 6-year-old girl

A 25-year-old Madera man faces up to eight years in state prison after a jury convicted him of molesting a 6-year-old girl.

Valeriano Racines was found guilty Aug. 24 on a single felony count of oral copulation with a minor, the Madera County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.

District Attorney David Linn, in a telephone interview Wednesday, said the charge stemmed from an incident in 2016. He said Racines was an "acquaintance" of the victim's family.

"I commend the courage of the child victim and her family who reported the incident to law enforcement so that this predator can be held accountable for his actions," Linn said in the statement.

Racines remains in custody at the Madera County jail. He is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 25, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Madera man convicted of molesting 6-year-old girl."