Post-conviction relief sought in child sexual assault case

HARTINGTON - A man convicted of sexual assault of a child has filed for post-conviction relief but in the court documents admitted his time for an appeal has expired.

Guillermo Coronado Ortiz, 62, formerly of South Sioux City, filed the post-conviction appeal documents in Cedar County District Court Dec. 30 and also a writ of habeas corpus. The writ requires an individual in custody to be brought before the court so they can challenge their custody.

Ortiz claims the Cedar County Public Defender’s Office was ineffective in their assistance as the time to file an appeal in his case expired. He said he doesn’t understand English or the court process.

He received assistance from a bilingual inmate to file the latest court documents, he said.

He also argued that his sentence was excessive as the charge was his first offense.

Ortiz was convicted of sexual assault of a child stemming from an investigation into inappropriate touching of a 15-year-old girl at a public swimming beach near Yankton, S.D., in June 2020. He was sentenced to 20-40 years in prison.