Child molesters sentenced Child molesters sentenced (August 13, 2004)

Two Mountain View men were sentenced in a San Jose courtroom Aug. 5 for sexually molesting two young girls in April.

Joseph Tugade, 20, was sentenced to five years in state prison on two counts of felony child molestation, according to Deputy District Attorney Chuck Gillingham.

Peter Mendenhall, 19, was sentenced to one year in county jail on one count of felony child molestation.

Both men had pleaded no contest to the charges on June 8 with Tugade receiving a harsher sentence based upon his role in the crime, Gillingham said.

The two 13-year-old victims were having a sleepover on April 24 when one of the girls received a cellular phone call from Tugade around 1:45 a.m., according to police.

The girls snuck out of their home and met the two men at a Mountain View elementary school park where, police said, the men forced both victims to perform sex acts.

-- Bay City News

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