South Lake Tahoe man convicted of 4 felony child molestation charges faces sentencing

A South Lake Tahoe man was recently convicted of felony child molestation and is facing a sentencing hearing in April, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office.

John Garcia was found guilty of four counts of felony child molestation, including one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.

He was also convicted of two counts of lewd and lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and one count of forcible lewd act upon a child under 14.

Detectives with the South Lake Tahoe Police Department began investigating Garcia in December 2018.

According to the district attorney’s office, a minor had reported numerous occasions of molestation by an individual who was once a close family friend.

Investigators learned that Garcia had molested the minor on a regular basis over the course of several years. He was also best friends with the minor’s father and spent a considerable amount of time at the family’s home.

Garcia was arrested on the four counts of child molestation in April last year. He then pleaded not guilty, and the case proceeded to a jury trial in early December.

Garcia is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on April 24.

Marcella Corona is a breaking news reporter who covers crime and justice in Northern Nevada. Support her work by subscribing to RGJ.com.