Tri-Cities child molester likely to spend rest of his life in prison. This wasn't his 1st victim

Dec. 2—A 77-year-old Pasco man likely will spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced on Friday to 30 years to life for molesting a young child for years.

The sentence followed a second trial of Raul Maldonado Pimentel in September after an April trial on the same charges ended with a hung jury.

In the most recent trial the prosecution brought in additional witnesses who said that Pimentel had similarly abused and threatened them decades earlier when they were the same age as the victim in the current case.

Shawn Sant, Franklin County prosecutor, commended the victim in the current case for their "bravery not only in reporting these horrific crimes, but in testifying in two trials in front of two different juries."

Pimentel denied the crime and lacked remorse, Sant said in a news release.

Pimentel was found guilty in September in Franklin County Superior Court in Washington of three counts of felony first-degree child molestation and two counts of felony indecent liberties with forcible compulsion.

A sixth charge of first-degree rape of a child was dismissed after the jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict on that charge.

According to court documents, Pimentel molested a child younger than 12 over as many as four years.

Charges included the aggravating factors that he held a position of trust with the child and there was an ongoing pattern of sexual abuse.

Given the aggravating circumstances, the prosecution asked for a sentence of 30 years in prison, which is above the standard range.

Judge Samuel Swanberg indicated that Pimentel poses a grave risk to the community and that his continued denial and lack of remorse were disturbing, Sant said.

Pimentel's sentence of 30 years to life means he will have to appear before an Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board to determine his ultimate release after it considers his behavior and sex offender treatment while he's locked up. The board can decide to hold the most serious offenders indefinitely.

Others say they were child victims

One of the witnesses who testified during the second trial that Pimentel had previously molested her asked Swanberg to give Pimentel the maximum sentence possible.

Pimentel portrayed himself as a righteous man as he repeated a pattern of manipulation and deceit, the witness said in a letter to the court before Pimentel was sentenced.

While Pimentel has enjoyed a good life, the witness said it has taken a lifetime for her to overcome "the debilitating insecurities I developed during the abuse — having been lied to manipulated and conditioned — the fears of something 'bad' happening to me" and "consuming loneliness."

Statements that came out in the trial, such as Pimentel saying "don't tell or else," were nearly identical to what she heard decades earlier from him, she said.

A second witness who said Pimentel abused him, told the judge in a letter that "this crime still continues to change my life every day. I could be thinking good thoughts and one word or movement can flood all those emotions back into my mind."

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