A 42‑year‑old man convicted of repeatedly raping a child received a pardon from the state board of pardons after a clemency commission recommended it on immigration grounds.
The commission voted four to two in favor of the pardon. The majority cited concerns that the defendant would face deportation if the pardon were not granted.
Two commissioners who voted against the pardon highlighted the seriousness of the offenses, while the four in favor noted the defendant’s six children and the potential impact of deportation on them.
The board, composed of the governor, the state attorney general and the chief justice, approved the pardon on June 10, effectively restoring the individual’s legal standing.
The defendant entered the country in the 1990s and was later granted legal status. He was convicted of criminal sexual conduct after repeatedly raping a girl who was as young as ten at the time of the first offense.
He received a twelve‑year sentence, which was later reduced to thirty years of supervised probation with one year of local confinement. He served eight months in a county workhouse and was released from probation in early 2019.
Legal officials noted several aggravating factors, including the repeated nature of the abuse, the defendant’s failure to use protection, and the victim’s vulnerability.
During the pardon process, the defendant expressed remorse and stated that he feared deportation would leave his children without a father and prevent him from protecting them.
The victim and the defendant’s wife reportedly supported the pardon, according to the commission’s recommendations.
The case has drawn criticism from some officials who argue that granting a pardon to a convicted child rapist jeopardizes public safety.
