St. George man convicted in ‘horrific’ child rape case sentenced to prison

ST. GEORGE — Nearly a dozen bikers filled the gallery of a courtroom in St. George to support an underage victim who, for the first time in nearly two years, faced the man who was trusted to protect her but whose crimes “ripped apart” an entire family.

The state is represented by prosecutor Eric Gentry as defense attorney Ken Combs appears with the defendant, 41-year-old Jaime Cruz, during the sentencing hearing in 5th District Court in St. George | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Jaime Cruz, 41, was found guilty in April of both rape of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child. He appeared Thursday for a sentencing hearing in 5th District Court in St. George before Judge John J. Walton.  The state was represented by Prosecutor Eric Gentry, while Cruz was represented by defense attorneys Ken Combs and Edward Flint.

Accompanying the victim was not only her mother but several members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, or BACA,  an organization that empowers abused kids through their physical strength, numbers and their tough attitude.

The case

The case stems from a September 2021 investigation that started when a woman called the St. George Police Department reporting that her then-7-year-old daughter had been raped by an extended relative a few years prior, according to charging documents filed at the time of the suspect’s arrest.

Officers learned the suspect, later identified as Cruz, was watching the child, along with several other children at his home in St. George, where Cruz lived. The suspect reportedly took the young girl into a private bedroom, away from the other children he was watching, and raped her. Officers say the abuse took place on a number of occasions.

The incidents were reported in September 2021 to the child’s mother, who then reported them to the police. Shortly after this, the mother also confronted the suspect, who initially denied the abuse ever took place but then apologized “for his behavior,” court records said.

Cruz, who reportedly denied ever abusing the child during an interview held on Feb. 4, 2022, and told detectives he would have been at the residence with the victim around the approximate timeframe in which the youngster was reportedly abused. Following the interview, he was arrested and booked into jail on the charges.

A series of motions and hearings followed and continued for the next year and a half, culminating with what was originally slated for a three-day jury trial that began on April 23. It began with opening arguments before District Judge John J. Walton. The trial ended the following day when the jury returned with a guilty verdict on both first-degree felony charges.

The victim speaks   

During the sentencing hearing held Thursday morning, Gentry invited the victim to read her impact statement before the court.

She was not alone.

Nearly a dozen members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, or BACA, appear to support the victim during the sentencing hearing of the defendant, 41-year-old Jaime Cruz, held in 5th District Court in St. George | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

In fact, the galley was filled with nearly a dozen members of BACA. The group accompanies the child as they go through the justice system to have their abusers prosecuted — and those who filled the galley on Thursday held true to their creed: “No child deserves to live in fear.”

The victim told the court it took years for her to tell anyone what had happened, “for fear that my mother would be harmed if I said anything.” She also described the pain and fear she had to carry by herself for so long.

As soon as she told her mother, she said they both “cried and cried and just hugged each other,” and the incident was reported to police immediately after.

“That is when I realized that nothing would ever be the same,” she said.

Overnight, she said the large, extended family was ripped apart, and she lost all contact with cousins and other relatives she had grown up with.

The help and support provided by the Children’s Justice Center, therapists and officers got her through those times, and she said, “I never knew how much people cared about me.”

She said it was through the Children’s Justice Center that she was introduced to the BACA group, she said, and when she and her mom met several of the members for the first time, “You could hear them coming from miles away.”

“During that initial meeting there were five members, and today,” she said, “there are almost of dozen of them here to support me.”

Prosecutor Eric Gentry addresses District Judge John J. Walton regarding defendant, 41-year-old Jaime Cruz, during the sentencing hearing in 5th District Court in St. George | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

To Cruz, she said, “And here I am 10 years later fighting for the little girl that I was,” a battle she has not had to fight alone.

Walton addressed the girl by saying of the abuse, “These horrific acts were done by someone that should have been protecting you.” He said her articulate statement to the court was not only a demonstration of her bravery but also showed a level of integrity that was “remarkable.”

“You bear no responsibility for what happened to you,” Walton said. “You have a bright future ahead of you because of your bravery and your integrity.”

The victim’s mother gave an emotional statement as well and told the defendant his actions have destroyed an entire family, which has now been reduced to “only my four children and myself.”

The judge addressed the girl’s mother and said, “You have raised an exceptional daughter — and you are an exceptional woman yourself.”

Both sides weigh in 

Prior to the ruling, Gentry said the charges that Cruz was convicted of carried mandatory minimum sentences, which was 25 years to life for the rape of a child and 15 to life for the aggravated sexual abuse of a child. He also asked the court to run the sentences consecutively.

Gentry then said that while one of the charges was dismissed by the state prior to the opening of the trial in April, there was never any plea agreement in the case.

“Just to be clear, a jury found him guilty of both charges,” Gentry said.

Cruz’s defense attorney, Combs, told the court that one of the findings in the presentence report that stated his client failed to take responsibility for his actions, and that he felt no remorse, “which my client said just isn’t true,” he said.

Defendant 41-year-old Jaime Cruz appears for sentencing hearing in 5th District Court in St. George | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Combs said Cruz wanted to start on a new path in life, adding that while he did not admit to the crimes, “he also didn’t deny them either,” the attorney said.

He asked the court to deviate from the mandatory minimum of 15 years to life, which was allowed under certain mitigating circumstances, and would also give a sentencing range that could reduce the sentence from 15 years down to either six or 10 years, which he asked the court to do.

Combs also asked the judge to run the sentences concurrently, which would allow his client to be released at some point so he could have some time with his family.

The ruling 

Walston sentenced the defendant to 25 years to life on the rape of a child charge and 15 years to life for aggravated sexual abuse of a child. He also ordered the sentences to run consecutively, meaning Cruz will spend the next 40 years in Utah State Prison.

Barring an appeal, the defendant will not be eligible for parole until he is 81 years old.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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