Albuquerque man accused of repeatedly assaulting children at wife's home day care

An Albuquerque man has been accused of sexually assaulting several children his wife was paid to babysit nearly 10 years ago in a mobile home park off West Central.

Jesus Soriano-Govea, 66, is charged with nine counts of sexual contact of a minor and one count each of false imprisonment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Three girls recently reported that Soriano-Govea sexually assaulted them when they were 6 and 7 years old, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Some girls said it happened almost every day for years, and Soriano-Govea would offer them money to get them into a room alone where the abuse occurred.

For criminal sexual contact, the statute of limitations does not begin until the victim turns 18 or the incident is reported, whichever comes first.

Franchesca Perdue, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson, said detectives believe there could be more victims.

“Detectives are asking for any other potential victims to come forward and speak with them,” she said.

Perdue said anyone with information on more possible victims can call APD’s Sex Crimes Unit or call 505-242-COPS.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Soriano-Govea until trial, saying he “caused great anguish” to the girls — at least one of whom is now battling behavioral health issues.

“He took total advantage of the young girls simply for his own gratification,” according to the motion. “It is unclear whether he has ever stopped his activity in the last ten years ... but he should be seen as very dangerous.”

In January, a 16-year-old reported that Soriano-Govea assaulted her multiple times when she was 6, according to the complaint. The teen, identified as “AJ,” said Soriano-Govea’s wife was hired to babysit her in 2015.

Police said AJ told them she was one of several children being babysat at a day care run out of the couple’s trailer in a mobile home park off Central, near Unser. The teen said Soriano-Govea would regularly assault her in a back room, and that it went on for months.

Then, in February, two sisters — ML, 22, and MAL, 20, — came forward to report similar abuse that began in 2010, according to the complaint. ML told police Soriano-Govea had assaulted her “possibly over 100 times” in the back room, even as she tried to escape.

Police said the other sister, MAL, told them Soriano-Govea would entice them, sometimes with money, to get them to go into the back room. She said it would happen “almost every day.”

ML told police they would scream, but Soriano-Govea’s wife would never help them and told the girl she was “asking for it” when she mentioned the abuse, the complaint states. ML said the wife would also record her as she undressed and “remark that she was going to show” Soriano-Govea.

The wife has not been charged.

Police said the three girls said they had been afraid to come forward for years after another girl told her parents and they didn’t believe her. MAL told police most people trusted Soriano-Govea and his wife with the children “because they would portray themselves as very religious to the community.”

MAL told police she still goes to the same church as Soriano-Govea, “and when he saw her, he would comment on her body sexually and talk about how she was growing,” according to the complaint.

“MAL remarked that while being babysat, (Soriano-Govea) did not like any of the boys... and did not offer them money for anything like he did with her or the girls,” the complaint states.