Paso Robles man found guilty of sex crimes against a child over a span of 3 years

A Paso Robles man was found guilty of committing sex crimes against a child under the age of 14.

Noe Simental Arce, a 48-year old Paso Robles resident, was found guilty of three counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child and one count of sexual penetration of a child, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday.

Arce’s crimes were committed between August 2019 and April 2022 in Paso Robles, during which time the jury found he exploited the trust and confidence of a particularly vulnerable young victim, the release said.

Over the course of a two-and-a-half-week trial, jurors heard the testimony of the young victim, family members, medical personnel and law enforcement professionals, according to the release.

Arce testified in his own defense and maintained that the crimes did not occur, the release said.

Found guilty of four counts of committing sex crimes against a child under the age of 14, Arce faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender, the release said.

The case was investigated by the Paso Robles Police Department with the assistance of the District Attorney Bureau of Investigation Child Forensic Interview Team and prosecuted by chief deputy district attorney Lisa Muscari, according to the release.

The victim and their family received support from the multi-disciplinary team of the San Luis Obispo County Child Advocacy Center, the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Assistance Center and Courthouse Dog Program, according to the release.

Arce’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 3.