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Door-To-Door Salesman Convicted Of Sexual Assault

VAN NUYS (CBS)  — A man who was selling magazine subscriptions door-to- door was convicted Monday of charges that could keep him behind bars for life.

A Van Nuys Superior Court jury convicted Gerald Vidal, 25, of one felony count each of first-degree burglary, forced oral copulation, attempted sodomy by use of force, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping and assault to commit a felony during a first-degree burlgary, along with two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object.

Police say the Texas native forced his way into a woman's home and sexually assaulted her after changing her mind about buying a subscription, according to the LAPD.

Vidal is facing life prison terms, with sentencing set for March 29, according to Deputy District Attorney Jane Creighton.

At the time of the Dec. 17, 2009, crime, Vidal was working with a group of door-to-door magazine salespeople who were staying at a Woodland Hills motel, where he was arrested shortly after the attack.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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