A Slaton man was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl four years ago.
Isaiah Rocha, 24, who had been out on bond, appeared in the 364th District Court and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child and a count of indecency with a child by sexual contact. The offenses are second-degree felonies that carry a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
In exchange for his plea, which was the result of a deal with the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office, Rocha was handed three, eight-year prison sentences that will run concurrently.
Rocha, who entered his plea ahead of a trial set for Monday, admitted to inappropriately touching a 15-year-old girl in February 2021 and sexually assaulting her in January and April of 2022.
He also faced two counts of sexual assault of a child, which were dismissed as part of his plea, according to court documents.
He will have to register as a sex offender for life.
Investigating reported child abuse in Slaton
His charge stems from a Slaton Police Department investigation that began in April 2022, after the girl made an outcry that Rocha touched her inappropriately.
During his interview with police, Rocha admitted that about a dozen times while wrestling with the girl, things became sexually inappropriate.
He also admitted to sexually assaulting the girl once, according to a probable-cause affidavit.
He was arrested on June 23, 2022 and was released on bond set at $150,000 on Aug. 8, 2022, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Slaton man sentenced to 8 years after admitting to sexually assaulting teen
Reporting by Gabriel Monte, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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