A Turlock man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his continual sexual abuse of a child over a 10 year period.

Adam Ramon Baca, 55, entered a no contest plea on July 8 to one felony count of continual sexual abuse of a child under age 14. On Sept. 16, Baca was sentenced to 16 years in state prison by Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Marie Silveira. The judge also ordered Baca to submit DNA and register for life as a sex offender. Baca’s crime is a serious and violent felony strike for which he must serve 85 percent of his time in custody before being eligible for parole, according to the Stanislaus District Attorney’s Office.

Baca was a cousin of the victim’s mother and first met the victim when he was five years old. According to the prosecution the abuse began when the victim was six years old and continued for the next 10 years, until the victim told his mother about the abuse.

The victim, referred to as John Doe, asked Deputy District Attorney Annette Rees to read a statement from him in court prior to sentencing because he was still too frightened to be near Baca. In his statement, the victim detailed the years of abuse he experienced from Baca and said: “My house began to feel like my prison. Every time Adam came over to visit, I would become nervous, because I knew I would be tortured, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”

The victim’s mother also made a statement at the sentencing hearing, telling the judge that she was “disgusted” and “angry” at what her son had been put through, especially because it happened in their own home. She told the judge that her revulsion for Baca had led her to destroy all the beds in the home where her son had been assaulted.

“Sleeping on the floor was still better than sleeping on those beds,” she said.

The victim’s father told the court he fell ill, lost work, lost his relationship with his son and watched their other children suffer emotionally as well, according to the district attorney’s office.

“I would never have suspected Adam to be the monster he turned out to be. We trusted him. He was family. I feel so blind as to not see the malicious, devious, disgusting, evil abomination that he was. I still haven’t forgiven myself for allowing that revolting predator in.”

Baca was taken into custody in September 2013. He was initially charged with seven felony counts related to the ongoing sexual abuse, including intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 or under.