Richland man convicted of raping young child over many years

A 32-year-old Richland man is facing decades in prison after raping a young child for years.

A jury took less than a day to find Michael D. Blanchard guilty of two counts of first-degree child rape and two counts of first-degree child molestation.

At a minimum, that means Blanchard will face a minimum of of 20 to 26 years in prison.. That could increase because the jury found Blanchard showed a pattern of abuse and used his position as a trusted figure.

Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra said she won’t make a decision on how much she will ask for until after she meets with the victim’s family.

It will be up to a state board to decide the maximum length of his sentence.

The Tri-City Herald is not revealing the gender of the victim at the request of prosecutors to minimize the risk they will be identified.

Blanchard abused the child over several years, until November 2020 when the child told their mother about the abuse.

At least one time, he threatened the child if they didn’t touch him inappropriately, he wouldn’t teach them to read, according to court records.

Blanchard, who has been in the Benton County jail since November 2020, denied the accusations, and took the case to trial.

“The trial included testimony from the minor victim, who ... showed remarkable bravery and resilience in testifying about the abuse s/he suffered while the defendant sat mere feet away in the courtroom,” the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office posted on Facebook.

Prosecutors also presented evidence from medical professionals from Kadlec Regional Medical Center, a specialized child interviewer and Richland police Detective Cameron Fancher.

Petra said there isn’t a lot of joy in verdicts in cases like this, but the family is happy with the verdict.

“It’s a very sad case for the victim’s family,” Petra told the Herald.