A 70-year-old Orosi man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for molesting eight girls under the age of 14 over a three-year period, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said on Thursday.

Manuel Huitron was sentenced in Department 4 of the Tulare County Superior Court, Visalia Division, following his January plea of no contest to eight felony counts of child molestation, with special allegations that many of the crimes involved substantial sexual conduct.

The abuse occurred between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors said Huitron occasionally gave victims small amounts of money after inappropriately touching them.

Under current California law, Huitron must serve at least 25 years before becoming eligible for parole and will be required to register as a sex offender for life, prosecutors said.

The case was investigated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Alizabeth Ramirez.

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