“I wish I could take it back,” he said through tears.

Deputy District Attorney Brian Imel asked that Valencia be sentenced to 18 months in jail, in accordance with a recommendation made by the probation department.

The victim also advocated for a jail sentence somewhere between one and two years, but not up to two years.“That’s just too long,” she said. “I don’t want him punished, I want him helped. I hope he looks at this as on opportunity to really look at some of his issues.”But District Judge Suzanne Carlson said it was a “horrible crime,” and a stiff punishment was appropriate.

In addition to serving jail time, Valencia must register as a sex offender and will be on probation for 10 years to life.

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