YAKIMA, WA – A Wapato man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for sexually abusing three children over a period spanning more than a decade.
According to a June 17 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, 43-year-old Jose Antonio Saldana was convicted earlier this year on three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact and Aggravated Sexual Abuse. The charges stem from a series of offenses committed between August 1999 and January 2014 in Wapato, involving three victims all under the age of 13 at the time of the abuse.
A jury found Saldana guilty on March 12, 2025. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke handed down the 45-year prison sentence, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Court records and trial testimony revealed that Saldana sexually abused the children over a sustained period, including acts of inappropriate touching and attempted sexual abuse. During the trial, the victims testified about the abuse they endured.
“Mr. Saldana’s significant sentence reflects the seriousness of his conduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker in the press release. “I want to commend the brave victims who testified to the abuse they suffered and identified Mr. Saldana as their abuser.”
Barker also affirmed the office’s continued commitment to working with law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and support survivors.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Murphy.
