Crime & Safety

Man Gets 22 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Young Relative

—By Bay City News

A man convicted of sexually abusing a young female relative and keeping her largely confined to their Richmond home for more than a decade was sentenced in Martinez this morning to 22 years in prison.

Raul Ochoa, 52, pleaded guilty last month to charges of forcible rape and forcible lewd acts on a child in exchange for the prison sentence.

Deputy District Attorney Ryan Wagner said Ochoa began forcing sex on the victim when she was 12 years old and continued to abuse her throughout her adolescence and young adulthood.

At one point, he convinced the victim to help him build a backyard shed where he would rape her on an ongoing basis, according to the prosecutor.

The defendant also kept close tabs on the victim's whereabouts, keeping her mostly confined to their Richmond home and making it difficult for her to leave, Wagner said.

In August 2012, at 27 years old, the victim was able to escape Ochoa and reported the abuse to the police.

Richmond police arrested him and took him to jail, where he has remained since.

Although the victim did not attend today's sentencing hearing, the court heard a written statement from her, Wagner said.

"She reinforced that she's doing her best to try and start living her life on her own and she challenged (Ochoa) to spend his time to think about how he could become a better person," the prosecutor said. Wagner credited the victim for her bravery in escaping her abuser and bringing him to justice.

Copyright 2014 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


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