LOGAN — A 31-year-old Midvale man has been sentenced to three months’ in jail and three years’ probation, for sexually assaulting a woman in Cache Valley three years ago. Jesse Bautista was taken into custody after telling the court that he was sorry for taking advantage of the victim.
Bautista was sentenced Monday, Feb. 24, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of sexual battery, amended to class A misdemeanors.
According to prosecutors, North Park Police officers received a report from the victim, claiming she had been molested in January 2022. The woman explained how she had taken sleeping medication and later woke up to find Bautista fondling her.
Police officers questioned Bautista during the investigation. He reportedly admitted to “groping” the woman on several occasions.
During Monday’s sentencing, Bautista’s defense attorney said that the Midvale man was sorry for the trauma he had caused. He explained how the defendant had not intended to harm the woman.
The victim explained how she had suffered from nightmares and panic attacks since the crime occurred. She described feeling lonely and hopeless, and asked the court to sentence Bautista to 6 to 12 months in jail.
Cache County deputy attorney Ronnie Keller noted how Utah law called for Bautista to be sentenced to a term of 45 to 90 days for the crime committed. He suggested the court follow the recommendation.
Bautista briefly apologized, saying he regretted his actions and the harm it had caused the victim.
Judge Spencer Walsh said it was obvious how Bautista took advantage of the victim when she was in a vulnerable state. He sentenced him to 90 days in jail, with no credit for time already served, and then 36 months of probation. He also ordered him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation and undergo recommended treatment.