Man who raped a teenager along with five other people was sentenced to 15 years in prison

Puerto Plata.– The Puerto Plata Collegiate Court sentenced Anthony Alexis Payán Reyes, alias “Ñolo”, to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of participating in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old teenager along with five other people who remain fugitives from justice.

The sentence was imposed after the Public Ministry demonstrated the responsibility of the accused through a set of evidence that showed the seriousness of the events and the physical and emotional sequelae suffered by the victim. According to the investigation, led by prosecutor Luisa Josefa Marmolejos, the event occurred in September of 2022 in the area of the ruins of the Fortaleza San Felipe, on the boardwalk of Puerto Plata. The investigations allowed to establish the participation of Payán Reyes and five other implicated individuals who have not yet been captured.

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During the trial, prosecutor Leury V. Ureña Morrobel presented documentary, testimonial, and expert evidence that supported the accusation. Among the evidence were medico-legal evaluations that confirmed injuries consistent with sexual assault, as well as psychological interviews conducted with the victim in the Gesell Chamber, a specialized mechanism for taking testimonies from minors. Likewise, witness and family statements helped corroborate the facts presented by the prosecuting authority. The sentence was issued by judges Jakayra Veras, Venecia Rojas and José Juan Jiménez, who ordered that the convicted person serve the sentence in the San Felipe Correction and Rehabilitation Center, in Puerto Plata.

The Public Ministry had requested a sentence of 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty contemplated for this type of crime; however, the court partially accepted the request and set the sentence at 15 years of imprisonment.