A New Mexico foster parent won’t serve any more time behind bars after being convicted of six counts of rape.
Manual Preciado, 64, was arrested in 2015 after his teenage foster son said Preciado raped him while he was staying at his Tucumcari, New Mexico, home, KQRE-TV reported. The boy said he was molested almost daily for nine months, according to court documents.
He was allegedly the second child to make such claims.
Preciado took a plea deal and faced six years in prison. However, in court Thursday, Preciado’s attorney argued that the rape accusations were taken out of context, and said Preciado’s wife needs him at home as a caregiver, KQRE-TV reported.
Judge Louis McDonald sentenced him to time served and probation.
"What's so upsetting about this, is that this child and his family will live with the repercussions of that sexual abuse for a lifetime. This man will spend not one day in prison," said the victim’s attorney, who KQRE-TV didn’t name.
Preciado will have to register as a sex offender. He faces 15 years behind bars if he violates his probation.
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