Costa Mesa man sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for sex with 4-year-old relative

A Costa Mesa man was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in state prison for having sexual intercourse with and committing lewd acts on a 4-year-old female relative.

An Orange County Superior Court jury on June 29 found Ricardo Interiano-Rivas, 50, guilty of a felony count of sexual intercourse with a child younger than 10 and two felony counts of a lewd act on a child under 14, according to court records.

Interiano-Rivas also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said Interiano-Rivas had sex with the girl in Costa Mesa in July 2015. He was caught by a teenage relative of the girl, who immediately called police.

Authorities linked Interiano-Rivas to the crimes through DNA and medical evidence, according to the district attorney’s office.

The girl, now 6, testified at the trial.

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