By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD — A 45-year-old local man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced in Graham County Superior Court on Tuesday, Aug. 4, for heinous sexual crimes against a child.
Higinio Cordova Jr. was sentenced to a stipulated term of life imprisonment in the Arizona Department of Corrections following a plea agreement stemming from his arrest on multiple child sexual abuse charges.
Appearing in custody before Graham County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem Travis W. Ragland, Cordova previously pled guilty June 30 to:
- Count I: Sexual Conduct with a Minor (involving a victim under the age of 12), a Class 2 felony and a Dangerous Crime Against Children in the First Degree, committed between Jan. 1, 2025, and Nov. 6, 2025.
- Amended Counts III, IV, V, VI, and VII: Five separate counts of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, each classified as a Class 3 felony and a Dangerous Crime Against Children in the Second Degree, committed on or about Nov. 7, 2025.
As part of the negotiated agreement, the state dismissed Count II, Counts VIII through XXI, and a separate case file. Cordova was represented in court by defense attorney Dennis McCarthy.
The prosecution was handled by Graham County Attorney L. Scott Bennett, who didn’t mince words when it came to describing the state’s position on protecting children and the penalties associated with harming them.
“There are some acts, when committed, that require society be protected from the perpetrator,” Bennett wrote in an email to the Gila Herald. “Based on (the) conduct of the defendant and the victimization of someone so young, this sentence is not only appropriate but will serve to protect our community. This is not the first offender that I have pursued and obtained a life sentence as punishment for hurting a child, and if this disgusting behavior continues, it will not be the last. It is my hope that this life sentence will be a deterrent to anyone who even considers harming a child and hopefully serve to prevent future abuse.”
Bennett successfully argued for a life sentence in a previous sexual conduct with a minor under 12 case last year. In that case, Judge Ragland sentenced defendant Michael Paul Calderon, then 42, to life in prison in a stipulated plea agreement as well.
Sentence breakdown and lifetime supervision
Under the terms of the plea agreement accepted by Judge Ragland:
- Count I (Life Term): Cordova was sentenced to life in prison. Under Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. § 13-705), he is not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation, pardon, or earned release credits, and must serve a mandatory minimum of 35 calendar years before he may apply for early release, which would put him at age 80.
- Amended Counts III–VII (Lifetime Probation): Upon any potential completion or release from his prison term, Cordova will be placed on lifetime supervised probation with mandatory sex offender terms. He received no pre-sentence incarceration credit toward these counts, as all credit was applied to Count I.
In addition to incarceration and probation, Cordova is required to register as a sex offender, complete all mandatory sex offender counseling recommended by the Adult Probation Department, and pay restitution to all victims for economic losses stemming from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
