The 21 year old Albion man who raped an underage girl several times has received the maximum prison sentence.
Lionardo Rojas Jr. pleaded guilty in August to four counts of 3rd degree child rape in Whitman County Superior Court. Rojas was first arrested in May for raping a 15 year old girl. While on pretrial release in that case Rojas was arrested again for continuing to rape the same girl. Authorities also determined that Rojas was giving the child drugs and alcohol. While on that same release Rojas also stole property from an Albion man and was sentenced to 9 months in jail after pleading guilty.
During sentencing on Friday, Judge Roger Sandberg was asked by attorneys to consider giving Rojas a special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative which would have required treatment instead of additional time in custody. The victim’s mother asked Judge Sandberg to reject the treatment sentence noting Rojas’s manipulation and abuse of her daughter and her belief that he will reoffend. Judge Sandberg agreed with the mother’s wishes and handed down the maximum sentence allowed by Washington state law and sent Rojas to prison for 5 years. You can listen to a portion of Judge Sandberg’s sentence below.
Rojas already has a previous criminal history including convictions for protection order violations, burglary and assault.
