Schenectady man gets 15 years in prison for child sex assault

A Schenectady man was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for having sex with a child younger than 13 years old.

Juan Garcia-Pleitez, 41, had pleaded guilty in January to first-degree criminal sex act. He admitted to having inappropriate sexual contact with the child known to him, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office said. The sexual assault took place on Aug. 2, 2023, in the city of Schenectady.

Police began an investigation after the child told her mother that Garcia-Pleitez sexually assaulted her in the attic of the family residence, police said. The mother removed her children and contacted police.

Garcia-Pleitez will have to serve 20 years of post-release supervision and register as a sex offender, according to the district attorney’s office. He also has a 40-year order of protection that bans him from contacting the victim.