Former Porterville council member sentenced after indictment for having sex with minor

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Tulare County District Attorney's Office pushed for Daniel Penaloza to serve 90 days behind bars, but the judge ruled he will serve community service hours instead, along with a lengthy list of terms.

Earlier this year, a Tulare County grand jury indicted Penaloza on charges of having sex with a minor.

"From there, we prosecuted the indictment, which resulted in a plea and a resolution," says Supervising Deputy District Attorney Jessica Weatherly.

Penaloza pleaded not guilty to four felony charges, including two counts of sex with a minor.

The minor is now 18 years old but was 17 when the crimes were committed between June 2020 and May 2021.

"We requested that he serve actual jail time," Weatherly said. "However, the judge decided to suspend 90 days in jail and instead give him 80 hours of community service."

His sentence also included a list of terms. He can no longer have any contact with children under the age of 18 without another adult present, and he cannot get a job without prior approval from the probation department.

Penaloza was a Porterville city council member at the time of the crime. He resigned, saying it was for personal reasons.

"Him being in a position of authority at the time, he used his power in our minds to have influence over juvenile girls," Weatherly said.

The district attorney's office wants to remind victims of resources like counseling, therapy, and victim advocates.

"Sometimes, it's good just to have help from resources to learn about cycles of violence, especially when it comes to cycles of sex crimes like grooming and things minors don't recognize," Weatherly said.

We spoke with Penaloza and his attorney. They had no comment on the matter.