Richland man pleads guilty to molesting two girls

A 75-year-old Richland man pleaded guilty to molesting two girls last year as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Robert Da Valle pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation in Benton County Superior Court on Thursday.

Prosecutors plan to ask for a five-year, seven-month prison sentence, the minimum end of the sentencing range, Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra said.

A judge could sentence him up to seven years and five months.

Da Valle's sentencing is scheduled for July 12.

He was arrested in June 2017 after two girls came forward to say Da Valle molested them years before.

One of girls alerted her youth group leader that she was inappropriately touched when she was younger. A second girl told her parents, court records said.

Da Valle admitted to the crimes when he talked to Richland police, according to court documents.

This story was originally published May 31, 2018 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Richland man pleads guilty to molesting two girls."