Pedro Rivera

WARSAW — A plea agreement entered on Sept. 24, and accepted by the courts, set a sentence cap on a level 4 child molester. The cap on the initial executed portion of the sentence was six years, with any balance of the sentence be served on probation. The sentence range for a level 4 felony is three years to 12 years as provided by state statute.

The plea agreement entered into by Pedro Rivera, 47, whose last known address was 401 W. Perry St., Warsaw, was accepted by Kosciusko County Superior Court 1 Judge David Cates Thursday morning. He was given six years, without any of the sentence being suspended for probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. Rivera has only had one other criminal charge, a felony.

He was given credit for 132 days served.

“Your counsel is correct, you have only one prior conviction. It was a felony. This makes your second felony. The victim is very young here. What you’ve done cannot be undone.” said Cates. “It is my hope, when you get out, you will not commit similar offenses.”

Jay Rigdon, attorney for Rivera, noted the lack of his client’s criminal history with only one prior conviction and asked the judge to give some “weight” of that to his decision. “My client is not under any illusion that he will walk away today. But probation would give assistance, support, to get back as much of his life as he can. He was successfully employed. He cross the line one time. There is no indication that one time would be repeated.” Rigdon stated through the investigation there has been no other allegations or speculation this occurred other than one time.

Rivera was charged in June 2015 on a charge of child molesting, a level 4 felony. Documents state on June 20, Rivera grabbed the arm of a young female, under the age of 14, laid her across his lap and began touching her inappropriately. He also allegedly told her not to tell any one.

When questioned by police Rivera, who did not know the true name of the young female, stated he had made a mistake and didn’t mean to hurt her. He stated he hugged her and touched her, and that the touching was an accident.