Recently a 47-year-old man from Richmond, California, pleaded guilty to the charge of statutory rape for his participation in a vicious, two hour long gang rape of a 16 year old girl that occurred in 2009 outside a school dance. He was sentenced to three years in prison, must pay $15,309 in victim restitution, has a 10-year stay away from the victim order, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Other participants in the gang rape received sentences that range from six years to 33 years-to-life in prison. The prosecutor stated that the reason why the 47-year-old man received a relatively lenient sentence was to provide closure to the victim, who remains unidentified because she was a minor at the time of the rape. The victim is said to have consented to the plea arrangement.
The gang rape was so brazen and violent in its character that it became a national story. It took place in front of witnesses on the Richmond High School campus. It is unclear how the man became involved in the gang rape, but there is forensic evidence in the form of semen that proves that he was a participant. He is the sixth person to be convicted in connection to the crime, but the investigation is still ongoing.