19-year-old ordered to serve eight years in prison for rape of preteen

Free Lance-Star - 4/3/2024

Apr. 3—A young Spotsylvania man who lured a 12-year-old outside to have sex with him last summer was ordered Tuesday to serve eight years in prison.

Maycol J. Rivas-Escobar, 19, was sentenced in Fredericksburg Circuit Court to a total of 15 years with seven years suspended. He had previously pleaded guilty to rape of a child under the age of 13.

The victim's mother testified Tuesday that she went into her daughter's room at their Fredericksburg residence in the wee hours of Aug. 14 after hearing an alarm sounding. After discovering that the child was not in bed, she and another relative began searching for her.

The search took them outside, where the mother noticed a white car that made her suspicious. As she and the relative approached the car, Rivas-Escobar jumped out with his shirt off and asked who they were looking for. He claimed to have been sleeping in the car.

But the mother saw her daughter on the passenger's side in the car, and the girl got out and ran home.

Police were contacted, and the investigation showed that Rivas-Escobar had met the child in church and groomed her on social media. The mother said the child and the rest of the family have been devastated by Rivas-Escobar's actions.

"My daughter is not the same anymore," the mother testified. "It's really bad where we're going through."

Defense attorney Glenn Wainer said that Rivas-Escobar's upbringing in El Salvador contributed to his bad choices. Rivas-Escobar, who came to the United States in 2019, said he received no guidance from his father as a child and was physically abused.

"None of this excuses what Maycol did," Wainer said. "But he's very sorry, very remorseful."

Wainer requested leniency from Judge Sarah Deneke, claiming that Rivas-Escobar will be deported once he's served his time.

Prosecutor Gary Godman asked for an active sentence of between 10 and 15 years. Fifteen years was the maximum he could have received under the terms of his plea agreement.

Deneke said she believes that Rivas-Escobar, who was nearing graduation from Chancellor High School when he was arrested, had a difficult upbringing. But she said he had to be punished for his actions.

"This is more than a mistake, this is a crime," Deneke said. "Nothing can bring back the innocence of a child."

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404

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