The jury reached a mixed verdict Friday afternoon in the case against a 25-year-old man charged with child sexual abuse.
They found Salvador Araujo-Gutierrez “not guilty” of four of the six counts, but “guilty” of one count of rape and one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. However, the indecent liberties counts are alternate counts to the rape, meaning he can only be sentenced on one. District Attorney Keith Schroeder saying, he’s happy with the decision because just the one count of rape is a Jessica’s law case. That means a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
The state alleges that three encounters occurred between 2006 and 2011, but the jury could only find guilt for an incident in the basement of a Hutchinson home. That’s where they found his DNA from a stain on new carpeting. The child had pointed out where that stain might be which wasn’t able to be detected by the naked eye. However, the KBI tested the fibers of the carpet and discovered the DNA that matched the defendant.
The defendant had first claimed the stain wasn’t his, then later claimed that the stain was from him, but it happened when he had an affair with the victims mother. But, the mother of the victim denied that this even happened.
With the guilty verdict, sentencing in the case is set for August 9.