Las Cruces grandfather guilty of sex crimes against a minor

District Attorney Mark D’Antonio announced Tuesday that a jury has found a Las Cruces grandfather guilty of sex crimes against a family member.

Samuel Padilla, now 52, was convicted of two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, both third-degree felonies. As a result, he is now facing 12 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

D’Antonio said, “The victim in this situation was able to testify which isn’t always the case. Her courage helped prosecutors secure a conviction.”

In 2014, the defendant was arrested after investigators said he made his granddaughter touch him inappropriately on multiple occasions spanning over several years.

After deliberating for less than an hour, jurors found the defendant guilty. Afterwards, he was taken into custody and is waiting to be sentenced.