A 30-year-old man from Huntington Beach was sentenced to 65 years behind bars for the sexual assault of a 7-year-old girl. D.V. was accused of kidnapping, sodomy, and intercourse with a child. The developmentally disabled girl was asked by D.V. to help him move furniture in his apartment. He then proceeded to drag the girl by the hand to his apartment, even though she told him over and over that she didn’t want to go inside, he proceeded to sexually assault her.
The victim’s friend became concerned for her and so went to look for her. She discovered her in the apartment and was able to help her escape by opening the sliding door. The victim’s parents notified the police the same day and D.V. was able to be arrested based on DNA evidence. Even though he is off the streets, the victim is still in therapy and the entire family moved out of the state in order to start again with a clean slate.
According to the California Penal Code §§207-270 (2011), kidnapping is defined as taking another individual by force or threats. Those convicted of this offense could be sent to jail for up to eight years. If the victim was under the age of 14, as in this case, the prison sentence could increase to 11 years in prison. California Penal Code §§261-269 (2011) states that rape is sexual intercourse through force or when the victim is unable to give consent. Rape against a child under the age of 14 has more serious consequences that other forms of rape, and the years in prison will increase. California Penal Code §286 (2011) says that the act of sodomy will also bring prison time, depending on if force or violence was used as well as the age of the victim.
