Winston Scates in 2019.
Albuquerque Journal file photo.

The Rio Rancho man who pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a young relative is charged with violating the probation he received instead of jail time.
Winston Scates Sr., now 66, was charged with criminal sexual contact of a child under 13 in 2018.
That October, 6-year-old Ariana “Jade” Romeo was found dead, having been raped and strangled, in the house on Moonstone Drive where Scates lived with several other people. Leland Hust, 21 at the time, was charged in the girl’s death.
During the investigation, police were told that Scates had molested a different child, now an adult, for years. He pleaded guilty in 2019 and was given a suspended sentence with 20 years of probation instead of the same amount of jail time because he was financially supporting the victim and other family members.
A court order dated Aug. 23 indicates Scates was in custody due to charges of parole violation, and 13th Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Perez ordered him held longer. Scates was released Aug. 25, according to court documents.
An evidentiary hearing on the charge of probation violation is set for Oct. 12.
According to a report from his probation officer filed in district court, Scates had multiple violations of his 6 p.m. curfew starting in January 2020 and that same year had repeatedly associated with a man who was also on probation despite being told it violated his probation and serving two days in jail as punishment.
According to the statement, Scates, who retired at the end of July, has attended counseling as ordered since December 2019.
During a December 2020 polygraph test, Scates admitted to inappropriate thoughts of his victim, and this August, pictures of what appeared to be teenage girls were found on his phone, according to the report.
Probation officers also found internet history of searches for Leland Hust, Jade Romeo, “instant revenge” and “sweet revenge.”
“It is unknown what probationer was obtaining or hoping to obtain in those searches,” the probation officer wrote, after calling the searches concerning but not a violation.
The probation officer recommended that Scates be ordered to serve the rest of his 20-year sentence in prison, if he were found guilty of probation violation.
His attorney didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.