Nathaniel Sanchez

A Makoti man was found guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child by a Ward County jury after around two hours of deliberation.

Nathanial Lee Sanchez, 37, Makoti, was found guilty of the Class AA felony after two days of testimony in North Central District Court before a jury composed of six men and six women. The charge was brought against Sanchez after the victim reported multiple incidents of sexual abuse that took place in Makoti and New Town during a four-year period beginning in 2018. The victim was identified as juvenile Jane Doe in court documents due to a Marsy’s Law declaration.

According to court records, the victim accused Sanchez of recording some of the abuse on his cell phone, which investigators found to contain approximately 200 instances of child sexual abuse material.

District Judge Stacey Louser ordered for Sanchez to be held in custody while awaiting sentencing, and that a no contact order for the victim and an additional Jane Doe remain in effect.

“For those of us that are fortunate enough to work in this field on a daily basis, I realize it can be very difficult and very trying. This is no different.” Louser said, “We ask a lot out of the individuals in our community to take time out of their day to make difficult decisions, so thank you very much.”

Sanchez’s sentencing is scheduled to take place on May 8, 2024, after the completion of a presentence investigation. Louser ordered that the investigation include a sex offender and psychological evaluation. The maximum penalty for Class A felonies is up to 20 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.