A father from Fresno, California was sentenced to 1,503 years in prison for repeatedly raping his daughter. The crime took place in the course of four years and the sentence is said to be the longest known sentence handed down in a court in Fresno.
The man was identified as 41-year-old Rene Lopez. He was found guilty last September of 186 felony counts of sexual assault that included dozens of counts of rape of a minor. CBS 8 reported that the rapes were from May 2009 to May 2013. The teenage daughter was reportedly raped two to three times in a week. He also impregnated his own daughter but paid for her abortion, confirmed Judge Edward Sarkisian, Jr.
The girl was able to muster up the courage to leave her father and the abuse came to an end subsequently. However, she was still harassed by Lopez as authorities said that he drove to his daughter's new home and left love songs on her voicemail. Lopez was eventually arrested in November of 2013 when his daughter reported the abuse.
Fresno prosecutor Nicole Galstan said in a statement that Lopez ruined his daughter's teenage years and made her feel like it was her fault. The teenager was first sexually abused by a family friend before her father did the multiple rapes. Galstan added that instead of protecting his daughter, he turned her into a piece of property to satisfy his sexual needs.
The daughter of Lopez is now 23 years old. She said in a statement, "When my father abused me, I was young. I had no power, no voice. I was defenseless," People reported. Lopez reportedly never showed remorse of what he did to his daughter and when he spoke in court, he never acknowledged her presence.
Lopez was initially offered 13 years behind bars in exchange for a guilty plea. He rejected the offer. He was offered to serve 22 years in prison if he confessed to the charges but he contended that he should be released from jail because he served time from his arrest. Lopez also said in a letter to the judge that he did not get a fair trial and that his daughter lied.
Aside from the 1,503 years sentence, Lopez must also register as a sex offender. What are your thoughts about this appalling story? Feel free to share your comments below.
