Habitual sex offender sentenced to life in prison

A habitual sex offender will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced today that Christopher Horton was sentenced Tuesday to 156 years to life in state prison. The sentence stems from charges of battering and sexually assaulting his wife during the first month of their marriage in 2011.

The sentence was enhanced because of six prior sexual assault convictions under the Three Strikes Law. The 54 year old Salinas resident was found guilty on March 20, 2015 for the crimes committed against his wife. The jury also found that Horton was a “Habitual Sex Offender” based on the six prior convictions from a 1997 case, where he brutally attacked a woman who he lured to a home in Carmel under the ruse of employment.

Horton’s now estranged wife asked the court to impose the maximum sentence on behalf of herself and all of Horton’s past victims. Horton will also be required to register as a sex offender.