October 24, 2025 - Tuolumne County District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke announced that on October 22, 2025, the Honorable Judge David C. Beyersdorf sentenced 32-year-old Ricardo Ceron to 6 years in state prison.  The sentence comes after a jury found Mr. Ceron guilty of a lewd and lascivious act committed upon a child under 14 years old and found true the aggravating factor that he violated a position of trust or confidence in the commission of the crime.

The conviction arises out of an incident that took place in August of 2018 where Mr. Ceron, who was then 25 years old, inappropriately touched the 12-year-old sister of his children’s mother.  To accomplish this crime, Mr. Ceron groomed Emily Bradfute by what started out as seemingly innocent touches that escalated over time as he acclimated her to his intent to sexually assault her.  Emily, who is now a 19-year-old young lady, has chosen to let the world know her name in the hope that it will help other survivors stand up to those who would abuse them and so that Mr. Ceron will never forget exactly who he sexually assaulted.  After sexually assaulting Emily, Mr. Ceron then gave her an electronic device where he would send her flirtatious messages, despite her being a child and notwithstanding that Mr. Ceron was in a relationship with Emily’s adult sister.   Emily’s mother became concerned when she noticed a change in Emily’s demeanor and asked her about it. Emily eventually showed her mother the messages and shared what Mr. Ceron did.  Her mother then helped her report the crime.  After learning law enforcement had been contacted, Mr. Ceron fled.  After receiving the investigation reports at the end of January 2019, the District Attorney's Office filed charges against Mr. Ceron in February of 2019 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was not arrested until a tip came in by a concerned citizen last year, and he was arraigned in February of 2024.The jury trial began on September 29, 2025, and concluded on October 1, 2025.

At sentencing, Emily provided a compelling impact statement where she told Mr. Ceron that what he had done to her was wrong and that she wanted to make sure that he never did anything like that to anyone else.  She also told him that, “I am not a victim; I’m a survivor.” The People commend Emily for her bravery in coming forward despite the strain it has put on her relationship with her extended family and applaud her for the strength and poise she has demonstrated in and out of the courtroom. The People argued for the maximum possible sentence of 8 years in state prison given the deeply disturbing grooming behavior engaged in by Mr. Ceron and that he shattered the trust that a child should be able to have in the adults that are connected to them.  

However, the Court found that Mr. Ceron’s lack of known criminal history weighed in favor of a lesser sentence.  The Court also urged Mr. Ceron to spend his time in prison thinking about what he did to Emily and how it forever changed her life.  The Court noted that “children are innocent and should be allowed to be innocent.”  The Court went on to tell Mr. Ceron, “You stole that from her.”  

Under California law, the defendant will be evaluated before his release from prison to determine whether he qualifies as a sexually violent predator pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 6600 and if he does then he will be referred for the filing of a petition with the court seeking an indefinite commitment to a state hospital for treatment.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Samantha Arnerich.

Source: Tuolumne County District Attorney