Pasadena Man Sentenced To 23 Years To Life For Child Sexual Assault

A 40-year-old Pasadena man was sentenced to 23 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault charges involving children under 14, police announced.

Alvaro Maldonado Deza was convicted May 8 on three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. He accepted a plea deal that reduced the charges from an original eight counts filed July 10, 2024.

The Pasadena Police Department’s Special Victims Unit began investigating Deza in August 2023 following a sexual assault report. Detectives arrested him June 26, 2024, after identifying him as a suspect.

A search of Deza’s electronic devices revealed thousands of child pornography items and videos showing sexual assaults on multiple juveniles, according to police. Investigators also found recordings of sexual acts conducted during remote viewing sessions with minors.

Police identified victims in several states and believe additional victims may live abroad. The investigation was conducted by Special Victims Unit detectives, including a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office initially charged Deza with eight felony counts; each charge carried a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison. His bail was set at $1.8 million.

The case is under review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for potential federal charges.

Police encourage anyone with information about the case to call (626) 744-4241 or report anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS, downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or visiting http://lacrimestoppers.org.