TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN) — Efren Cornejo, a former Border Patrol Agent, was sentenced to a lifetime of probation for his guilty plea in a child molestation case.
The two girls, his victims, were as young as nine at the time.
An interim complaint document describes how and where Cornejo touched them or exposed himself.
It took years before the victims found the courage to speak out, who are in their early twenties now.
Using a remote video connection one of the victims told Judge Casey McGinley she still lives in fear of Efren Cornejo and his authority.
“He used his position to manipulate and scare me, even telling me in high school that he had someone dig through my phone and make sure I was behaving,’ the victim said. “These threats weren't empty. They were weapons. They were weapons he wielded to keep me silent and afraid.”
Judge McGinley said he understands the victims and their families want to see Cornejo in prison.
Cornejo could have been sentenced to prison for three years but be free and unsupervised after that.
Judge Mc Ginley decided it would keep the community safer and reduce the chance Cornejo would make young girls his victims again if he served a lifetime on supervised probation.
“I don't remember a lot of cases, I'll remember this one, and that's not a situation you want to find yourself in in front of a judge on a violation of probation,” the judge said.
KGUN 9 does not identify sexual assault victims or family members who are contacted.
KGUN 9 spoke with a family member of the victim who calls it shameful that military and Border Patrol veterans supported Cornejo. He calls it malarkey for the judge to sentence Cornejo to probation instead of time behind bars.
“I think the judge’s ruling was sad,” the family member said. “I think he slapped both the victims in the face by just giving probation. I think he turned a monster loose on the streets.”
