Photo Contributed/Courtesy: GCSO: Robert Atencio was sentenced to 45 years in prison after failing to plead guilty to child sexual abuse charges.

Abuse lasted nearly 40 years across two generations, prosecutors say

Walt Murres

Safford – A man in Safford is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison after taking a plea bargain on multiple child sexual abuse charges. The abuse that followed came to light.

Robert S. Atensio, 60, pleads “not to contest” two amended counts of attempted child sexual abuse and one count of attempted sexual activity with a minor . The complaint dismissed charges including three counts of sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of continued sexual abuse of a child, and child sexual abuse.

At a hearing on May 26, Graham County Superior Court Judge Travis L. Ragland sentenced Atencio to three consecutive 15-year sentences for a total of 45 years in prison.

The incident first arose in February 2020 due to allegations filed regarding sexual crimes committed by Atensio over the years. When the victim was invited to a Super Bowl viewing party at the suspect’s home, the victim informed his family of the situation, leading to a law enforcement investigation.

Ultimately, the investigation came to include allegations of numerous sexual crimes committed by the defendant against three family members over a combined period of nearly 40 years.

Graham County Attorney L. Scott Bennett said: “The Safford Police Department and the victim, along with their families, have been extremely hardworking and committed to the success of this case. We sincerely hope that it serves as a notice that the conduct will not be tolerated by this office or our community.”