Thread: Oregon-Illegal alien sentenced for sex abuse

From Oregonians for Immigration Reform:

Abuser of two Medford girls gets prison term.

Pedro Aguilera-Perez faces more than 12 years behind bars followed by deportation to Mexico for violating the preteen sisters

By Anita Burke

Mail Tribune [Medford OR]

July 08, 2009 6:00 AM

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... -1/NEWSMAP

A man who sexually abused his girlfriend's two preteen daughters multiple times over the course of two years was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years and six months in prison.

A jury found Pedro Aguilera-Perez, 44, guilty of six counts of first-degree sexual assault on June 24, and Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Ray White sentenced him to prison Tuesday morning, calling his behavior "reprehensible."

Jackson County Deputy District Attorney David Orr explained that Aguilera-Perez had moved in with his girlfriend and her two daughters — then 7 and 10 — in Medford about two-and-a-half years ago. Shortly thereafter, the 10-year-old reported that he had touched her inappropriately, but her mother vouched for Aguilera-Perez and said it was a misunderstanding, not abuse, Orr said. No charges were filed then.

Early this year, the younger girl, now 9, told people at school about ongoing abuse at home, Orr said.

"This is really, truly a horrible situation," he said, describing how the younger girl recounted that Aguilera-Perez repeatedly had paid her money to take off her clothes and let him touch her.

Aguilera-Perez, who is in the country illegally, bragged of moving across the border easily and told the younger girl that he had killed people in Mexico and would kill her, too, if she told anyone about the abuse.

"When he gets out of jail, I hope he doesn't hurt us and leaves us alone," she said in court Tuesday. "Let us be a normal family."

"I hope I can live happily with my family," her 12-year-old sister added.

Both girls said they felt bad for Aguilera-Perez's family, particularly his children.

White reassured the girls they should not blame themselves, encouraging them to move on with their lives without fear.

"It doesn't have to affect your whole life," he said. "It wasn't your fault. He's the adult. He's responsible.

"You guys have really been brave — the way you conducted yourselves and were honest with police and the courts," White told the sisters as they stood before him Tuesday.

Five charges were related to the abuse of the younger girl and one was related to the abuse of her older sister. Each charge carried a mandatory sentence of 75 months. Orr asked that Aguilera-Perez serve two full consecutive sentences — one for each victim. The additional charges linked to the same victim will be concurrent.

"We don't want to send a message of buy one, get one free for child molesters in a house with more than one child," he said, noting later that a man abusing two children in the house at the same time was rare.

He also argued for at least two consecutive sentences because of the age and vulnerability of the victims, noting that Aguilera-Perez had integrated himself into their home and left them with no way to escape his abuse.

Aguilera-Perez will get credit for the four months he was jailed awaiting trial.

He will face deportation after his release from prison and must register as a sex offender if he ever comes back to the U.S.

With a translator at his side during Tuesday's hearing, Aguilera-Perez declined to speak before he was sentenced.

Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail aburke@mailtribune.com

I hope he's given some very rough justice in prison. What a piece of garbage.