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Man Sentenced to 1,503 Years for Raping His Child

From Cosmopolitan

A 41-year-old man in Fresno, California, was sentenced to 1,503 years in prison Friday for the repeated sexual assault of his daughter over the course of four years.

People reports that Rene Lopez was found guilty of 186 felony counts of sexual assault last month, including over 20 counts of rape of a minor, and was sentenced "to the aggravated term on each count" by Judge Edward Sarkisian last week. According to the Fresno Bee, it is the longest-known sentence in Fresno Superior Court history.

Court records show that Lopez assaulted his daughter from 2009 to 2013, and that the abuse began after the young teen had been sexually assaulted by a family friend. Her lawyer, Nicole Galstan, argued in court that Lopez treated his daughter as "a piece of property," only using her to "satisfy his sexual needs." He raped her multiple times a week, and when he impregnated her, he paid for the abortion. The abuse only stopped when his daughter called police to report it.

"He ruined her teenage years and made her feel like it was her fault," Galstan said in court, CBS reports, adding that she believed he should receive the maximum sentence for his crimes.

"When my father abused me, I was young," Lopez’s daughter, now 23 years old, added. "I had no power, no voice. I was defenseless."

Judge Sarkisian agreed, stating his belief that Lopez is a "serious danger to society." He also cited the fact that Lopez had yet to show remorse for his actions and that he had repeatedly blamed his daughter for his circumstance. Meanwhile, Lopez maintains that he is innocent and has plans to appeal the sentence.

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