Man convicted by Sacramento jury of child sexual assault. His sentence could top 500 years

A man was convicted by a Sacramento County jury of 25 counts of child sexual assault involving two female victims, according to authorities.

Ronald Berry’s charges included sexual touching of a child under 14 with force, sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 or younger, and oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child 10 or younger, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said in a Friday news release.

Prosecutors said that on May 28, 2020, one of Berry’s victims, an 11-year-old girl, told how Berry sexually abused her from the ages of 8 to 11 and that he was sending her sexually inappropriate text messages.

The victim said the sexual abuse included touching her over her clothes, then progressed to multiple forced sexual assaults. She said she was afraid Berry would hurt her if she didn’t comply, according to prosecutors.

A Sacramento County sheriff’s detective found a second victim, who said Berry began sexually assaulting her when she was 13, according to the news release.

Berry, 46, faces a maximum sentence of 529 years and 8 months in prison, according to prosecutors. Sentencing is set for Aug. 26.