PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2026
Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Sexually Abusing a Child
CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — Juan Cardoza, 24, was sentenced October 9, 2026, to 40 years in prison for sexually abusing a young child by Third District Judge Gabriel McCarthy. The Defendant was prosecuted by the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
Beginning in 2022, Cardoza sexually abused a 9-year-old child on multiple occasions in Canyon County and photographed the abuse.
In July 2026, Cardoza pleaded guilty to one count of Lewd Conduct with a Minor under Sixteen. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual abuse material in a separate case brought by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
At sentencing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kyra Venecia asked the Court to impose 25 years fixed followed by an indeterminate life term.
“The risk that this Defendant poses to our community is immeasurable,” Venecia told the Court. “It will be gambling the safety of any child the Defendant can have access to either in his life or online.”
Judge McCarthy imposed a total of 20 years fixed followed by 20 years indeterminate.
“I’m not going to take a long time to explain how truly evil your criminal conduct has been,” Judge McCarthy told Cardoza. “You have sick and deviant sexual impulses and desires. You are a continuing danger to young children.”
“The Court is familiar with the lifelong damage these crimes cause,” the judge added.
Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Boyd said, “No punishment is great enough for someone who abuses children in this way but I hope that this judge’s lengthy prison sentence brings some comfort to the victim and their family.” Boyd also thanked the Nampa Police Department and the Idaho Attorney General for their diligent work in bringing him to justice.
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