Family counseling employee molests 2 girls during sleepovers, California officials say

A former employee at a children’s mental health agency is going to prison after being found guilty of molesting two “family friends,” California officials said.

The investigation into Victor David Magallon, 44, began in 2020 after Santa Rosa officers learned of the sexual abuse of two girls under the age of 14 that began as early as 2009, according to an Aug. 28 news release from the Sonoma County District Attorney.

The girls would’ve been 10 or 11 years old when the abuse started, officials said.

Magallon was working at the Child Parent Institute, an agency focused on child therapy, family resource assistance, parent education and providing kids with mental health services, according to its website.

During the trial, the girls recounted the molestation and how it would occur during “drives to the store, fun outings, or sleepovers” at Magallon’s home, prosecutors said.

McClatchy News reached out to the Child Parent Institute for a statement on Aug. 29 and was awaiting a response.

Magallon was sentenced to 28 years in prison for two counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, officials said.

He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, officials said.

Santa Rosa is about a 50-mile drive northwest of San Francisco.

This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Family counseling employee molests 2 girls during sleepovers, California officials say."