PASO ROBLES — On Thursday, July 3, District Attorney Dan Dow announced that Noe Simental Arce (48), of Paso Robles, has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison for the molestation of a child who was under 14 years of age. The crimes occurred on numerous occasions over a two-to-three-year period. Arce was convicted on May 8, 2024, after a nearly three-week jury trial.
After hearing all of the evidence in the case, the San Luis Obispo County jury found Mr. Arce guilty of four counts of committing sex crimes on a child under the age of 14, including lewd and lascivious acts and sexual penetration. The jury’s deliberation also found that there were two factors in aggravation: (1) the victim was particularly vulnerable, and (2) Arce exploited a position of trust and confidence with the young victim when he committed the crimes. The law allows additional consequences in sentencing when factors in aggravation have been proved.
At the sentencing hearing, the child’s mother read a written statement about how the defendant’s actions affected her family. She told the Judge that her daughter said, “she begs God in her prayers to make her ‘normal’ again.” The victim’smother added, “we will not be broken. These crimes are the worst in our communities and they cannot be tolerated.”
The child victim’s written statement was read in court by District Attorney Victim Advocate Dona Reed. The victim expressed that she has forgiven him and hopes that her “coming forward may prevent this from happening to someone else.” She expressed how “proud (she) was for being so brave and speaking up for (herself).”
“The victim survivor demonstrated strength and courage by her actions and participation in the criminal and victim justice system,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “It is because of her willingness to come forward and participate, that we were able to bring him to justice and prevent him from hurting any other children.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Muscari strongly advocated for the Judge to impose the maximum sentence of 14 years citing the repeated targeting of his victim for sexual purposes over two-to-three years of time.
The defendant’s attorney argued in writing that the defendant should be granted probation instead of a prison sentence.The Honorable Catherine Swysen denied the defendant’s request for probation but imposed a lighter sentence than the prosecutor requested. The Judge also ordered Arce to register as a sexual offender.
The case was investigated by the Paso Robles Police Department with the assistance of the District Attorney Bureau of Investigation Child Forensic Interview Team. The young victim and her family were supported by the multi-disciplinary team of the San Luis Obispo County Child Advocacy Center, the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Assistance Center, and Courthouse Dog Program. The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Muscari.
