Salinas man gets more than 6 years in prison for child abuse, lewd material

By Tony Hicks | Bay City News

A Salinas man was sentenced to more than six years in prison last month for felony child abuse, domestic violence, possession of child pornography, and other crimes.

Jeremy Michael Betancourt, 33, was already on probation for domestic violence on Nov. 11, 2023, when he pushed his ex-girlfriend against a wall while she was holding her 2-year-old son, causing the boy to hit his head against the wall and cause visible swelling, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Thursday.

The woman, identified only as Jane Doe by authorities, put the boy down to prevent further injury, just before Betancourt attempted to smother her to prevent her from screaming.

When the woman tried getting help, Betancourt forcefully removed her cell phone from her possession and fled, according to prosecutors.

Around the same time, Salinas police detectives heard from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which received a tip from an online service provider that Betancourt accessed obscene material involving minors engaged in lewd acts. Charges were filed and a warrant was issued for Betancourt’s arrest.

Before police could arrest him, Jane Doe told deputies from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office about other times Betancourt battered and strangled her.

Officers said she had visible injuries from at least three separate incidents, which happened within days of her report.

Deputies found and arrested Betancourt, who was sentenced March 21 to six years and eight months in state prison for felony child abuse causing injury, felony domestic violence, witness intimidation, and possession of obscene matter depicting persons under age 18 engaged in lewd conduct.