Tri-Cities man ordered to prison for 23 years in decade-old rape case
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jose Meraz-Alvarez, 29, was sentenced to at least 23 years behind bars on Monday.
- He was found guilty on April 1 of 4 counts of child rape, molestation.
- He must register as a sex offender for life and undergo sex offense rehabilitation
A Pasco man was sentenced to 23 years in a state prison for the sexual abuse of a young relative.
Jose A. Meraz-Alvarez, 29, was sentenced Monday in Franklin County Superior Court. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life, and must undergo sex offense rehabilitation while in prison.
He was found guilty of two counts of second-degree rape of a child and two charges of child molestation on April 1 following a seven-day trial. All four are felonies and included the aggravating factor of ongoing abuse.
In 2020, the teen revealed the abuse to a high school counselor, who then reported it to a school resource officer with the Pasco Police Department, according to court documents. The girl told officials that she was repeatedly abused for a period of time four years earlier.
The student alleged Meraz-Alvarez would sneak into her room, and she would “freeze and pretend to be asleep” because she was shocked by what was happening.
At the time, Meraz-Alvarez, then 18, “directly denied doing such a thing” and claimed the allegations were concocted by the girl’s family.
