McKinleyville man sentenced to eight years for child sex crimes

Trinidad Cortez Gomez, 38, of McKinleyville, was sentenced to eight years in state prison after a Humboldt County jury convicted him on June 2 of felony child sex crimes. Judge John Feeney handed down the sentence in Humboldt County Superior Court, bringing the case to a close after trial and jury deliberation.

The county notice did not spell out every count in its brief summary, but the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office said Gomez was sentenced for two felony counts of sexually abusing a young girl. Public court coverage placed the sentencing on June 11. The conviction and prison term mark one of the more serious kinds of child abuse cases prosecuted in the county system.

The case moved through the same path many child sexual abuse prosecutions follow in Humboldt County: investigation, arrest, charging, trial, verdict and sentencing. Local court calendars often leave weeks between a guilty verdict and the punishment hearing, giving time for victim-impact matters and final arguments before a judge sets the sentence. In this case, the jury’s June 2 verdict was followed by the state prison term that now removes Gomez from the community for years.

For Humboldt families, the practical takeaway is not limited to the prison sentence. The county’s 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline is 707-445-6180, and if a child is in immediate danger, residents are told to call 911. Humboldt County Child Abuse Services Team, known as CAST, has brought together law enforcement, child welfare, county mental health, the District Attorney’s Office, North Coast Rape Crisis and tribal social services since 1996.

Survivors and caregivers looking for local support can also contact North Coast Rape Crisis Team at 707-382-5174, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or use its 24/7 Humboldt line at 707-445-2881. Humboldt Family Service Center lists counseling services at 707-443-7358.