Rocha

Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 4:32 pm
By Tom Smith Senior Staff Writer

RUSSELLVILLE — Authorities said a Franklin County man who is being held by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services pleaded guilty this morning to assaulting a girl in 2014.

Franklin County court officials said Pedro Ramirez Rocha, 43, 100 Town and Country Trailer Park Lot A1, Russellville, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault.

Rocha was indicted in September 2015 on four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12.

Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said the plea agreement was finalized with the blessings of the victim’s family.

He said the girl is now 11, but the family didn’t want to put her through the stress of testimony and going through a trial.

“They were concerned about the stress the case would put on their child,” Rushing said. “But they were ready to go forward if (Rocha) had not entered the guilty plea.”

As a part of the plea, Rocha was sentenced to five years in prison. He is facing deportation after he serves his prison term.

http://www.timesdaily.com/news/crime...e021b590b.html