Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
PULLMAN — A 34-year-old man from Mexico who molested a boy in Pullman has received the maximum jail sentence for third-degree felony child molestation.
Juan Trejo Perez, 34, was sentenced to one year in jail by Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey on Friday, June 28.
The prosecutor’s office requested the maximum sentence, and the defense did not object.
Trejo Perez chose not to speak before the sentence was given.
Judge Libey expressed that Trejo Perez deserved a longer sentence but was restricted to the maximum allowed by Washington state law.
Trejo Perez was convicted in April, where a jury found him guilty of molesting his 14-year-old cousin in October.
His first trial in December ended in a hung jury.
Following the mistrial, Trejo Perez posted bond after several months in jail but failed to appear in court as prosecutors prepared for a retrial.
He was arrested on a warrant after hiding in a Pullman Building Supply dressing room.
Pullman Police initially arrested Trejo Perez last fall while he was waiting to fly to Mexico from the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport.
Officers learned that his wife and children live in Mexico.
Washington state law prohibits courts and law enforcement from inquiring about defendants' and suspects' citizenship status.
Judge Libey also placed Trejo Perez on probation for one year and required him to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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