Turlock man convicted of sexually abusing 3 girls

A Turlock man faces a maximum sentence of 48 years to life in prison for sexually abusing three girls over several years.

Anthony Conklin, 47, was convicted March 2. A jury found him guilty of two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child younger than 14 and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child 14 or 15 years old.

Deputy District Attorney Merrill Hoult prosecuted the case.

Conklin lived with a woman and her two daughters. In 2004, Conklin began molesting the woman’s daughters when one girl was 11 and her younger sister was 9, prosecutors said.

The molestation continued until 2010, when the younger girl was 15 years old, prosecutors said. In 2011, the younger sister told a family friend that Conklin had molested her.

Then, one of Conklin’s relatives reported that he had molested her from the age of 6 through 8. A few months later, the older sister reported Conklin’s abuse to a friend.

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Nancy Ashley scheduled Conklin’s sentencing hearing for April 7. Conklin remains in custody at the Stanislaus County jail.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Turlock man convicted of sexually abusing 3 girls."