Fresno County serial rapist Cesar Flores sentenced to life in prison

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Cesar Flores, a Fresno County serial rapist who admitted to multiple sex crimes, was sentenced to life in prison, bringing an end to a yearslong investigation that linked him to attacks dating back to 2016.

"Sentence where this person will never see the light of day again. He will be in prison for the rest of his life. There's no question about that," ABC30 Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi said after the sentencing.

Flores showed no emotion in court as Judge James A. Kelley imposed the sentence of 30 years to life plus 16 years consecutive. Flores previously admitted to several crimes, including forcible rape and lewd acts on a child.

"The actions of the defendant over the course of years were callous, were harmful and hurtful to the victims, and were undetected for a number of years," Kelley said.

According to an unsealed 15-page criminal complaint, Flores' crimes involved seven victims, including two girls younger than 14. Prosecutors said Flores used a knife during some attacks and even kidnapped victims. Some victims were strangers to Flores, while others were members of his family.

None of the victims appeared in court for the sentencing hearing.

"I think the fact that they didn't come shows the gravity of this offense. Shows how it affected those victims," Capozzi said.

Authorities said Flores remained unidentified for years despite investigators connecting multiple rapes to the same offender through DNA evidence. The case was ultimately solved through the use of genealogy testing, which led investigators to Flores.

"That's really cracking a case that should've never been solved, but by digging in deep and following the evidence and they found the evidence here," Capozzi said.

Flores initially denied nearly two dozen charges. However, he pleaded guilty last month; a move Capozzi said reflected the strength of the evidence against him.

"There's no question the offenses in this case were egregious, some of the most egregious offenses you could ever see," Capozzi said.

The sentence ensures Flores will spend the rest of his life in prison. Along with this sentence, Flores is also required to register as a sex offender and is not allowed to have any contact with his victims.

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