SANTA ANA (CBS) — A Santa Ana man could spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting his young son’s playmate.

KNX 1070′s Brian Ping reports prosecutors say Claudio Herta Martinez first forced the girl to perform sex acts on him when she was seven years old.

Martinez, 45, was arrested in October of last year for assaulting the girl at his apartment complex in in the 2200 block of South Center Street in Santa Ana, where he lived with his wife and kids since before the victim was born.

Prosecutors said Martinez began having a sexual relationship with the girl on Christmas Eve 2008 and ending on Christmas Eve 2010.

The now-10-year-old victim grew up with Martinez’s son and would often play with him, and prosecutors say Martinez had sex with her three times, forcing her to perform oral sex and other sex acts on him.

The abuse came to light when the girl was sharing secrets with a friend, who then told her grandmother, who in turn told the victim’s mother.

Martinez faces nearly three decades in prison when sentenced next month.