LOGAN — A 53-year-old Lewiston man has been sentenced to prison for repeatedly abusing and raping a young girl two years ago.
Jose Rafael Ramirez was arrested in December 2025 following an investigation by the Cache County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court records, Ramirez was sentenced Aug. 12 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously pleaded guilty to amended charges of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony, and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.
Prosecutors said deputies began investigating Ramirez in August 2024 following a child abuse complaint. Months later, the victim reported the defendant had physically and sexually abused her multiple times.
The girl told deputies the abuse started when Ramirez caught her calling family members in Mexico over social media. He became angry, grabbed her phone, and smashed it on the ground.
The abuse continued over the next several years. On several occasions, Ramirez molested and raped her while she was in bed. In another instance, he sexually assaulted her after drinking tequila and forcing her to drink as well, according to charging documents.
According to court documents, Ramirez is not a U.S. citizen and is in the country without legal status. He was ordered to serve a term of five years to life in prison for the first-degree felony and zero to five years in prison for the second-degree felonies. The terms will run concurrently.