ST. THOMAS — A man who raped a 13-year-old child a little more than a year ago has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars, the Virgin islands Department of Justice announced this afternoon.
In accordance with a plea agreement offered by Attorney General Claude Earl Walker, V.I. Superior Court Judge James Carroll III today handed down the punishment on Andres Carmona Ortiz.
“You basically destroyed this young man’s life… It’s a serious thing you did to him – not only physically, but also psychologically. This is something that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life,” Judge Carroll said while handing down the sentence.
The 53-year-old, who was initially charged with one count of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree aggravated rape, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape with attempt to commit rape and sodomy stemming from an Aug. 27, 2015, incident.
At Mr. Ortiz’s sentencing hearing, Elma Brathwaite, Victim Advocate at the Department of Justice, who spoke in behalf of the victim, implored the judge to “keep this defendant away from society for a long time.”
Feature Image: Mugshot of Andres Carmona Ortiz. (Credit: V.I.P.D.)
Tags: Andres Carmona Ortiz, rape
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