Yuma Man Gets 17 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Conviction

James David Schultz, 46, was sentenced Monday to 17 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child over a period spanning years, a case that Yuma Police Department investigators built following a tip about a delayed sex offense.

Schultz pleaded guilty in February to three charges: sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Beyond the prison term, he will serve lifetime intensive probation once released.

The Yuma Police Department arrested Schultz in December 2023 after conducting a months-long investigation that began when the department received information referencing a delayed sex offense. Investigators identified the victim as a child between the ages of four and 14 at the time, and Schultz emerged as the suspect. During the same investigation, YPD separately probed material linked to child sexual abuse, which contributed to Schultz facing multiple felony charges at the time of his arrest.

The case involved allegations of prolonged abuse, with reporting indicating the conduct continued over more than ten years. Court records that would clarify the precise timeline of the abuse, the exact number of counts, and the terms of the plea agreement had not been made publicly available as of this reporting.

The 17-year sentence will be served at the Arizona Department of Corrections, with the lifetime intensive probation requirement taking effect upon his release.