The District Attorney's Office defended a controversial suspended sentence in a rape case involving a substitute county school bus driver.
Prosecutor Jason Demastus said the victim, who was 15 years old at the time of the March 2015 incident, was in agreement on the plea and refused to testify against Alexander Rodriquez.
Rodriguez, 34, last Thursday pleaded guilty to aggravated statutory rape in the courtroom of Judge Barry Steelman.
He was given a four-year suspended sentence and will be on probation for 10 years. He will have to wear a GPS monitoring device.
Rodriguez was in jail for four months prior to being allowed bond by Judge Steelman.
The prosecutor said there was contradicting evidence regarding what happened in the hotel room.
He said the girl ignored her friends’ objections/concerns one afternoon and boarded the bus Rodriquez was driving. Once Rodriquez finished his route, he and the girl got into his car and drove to a motel.
The prosecutor said surveillance video shows them arriving/leaving motel. He said there were no obvious signs of distress/fear from the girl.
If the video was shown during a trial, jurors "would most likely believe the girl appeared excited to be there," it was stated.
They next went to a fast food place, then to Walmart.
The prosecutor said it appears the girl continued to willingly stay with Rodriquez. When he went into Walmart alone the girl waited in the car, not attempting to leave or seek help. When Rodriquez received a call from the school system asking if he knew the girl’s whereabouts he drove her home.
Originally the girl "walked into the house acting as if she had had a normal day," then she later said Rodriquez had forcibly raped her, it was stated.
The prosecutor said a rape exam showed no significant injuries.
Prosecutor Demastus said he met with the victim and her attorneys on multiple occasions and she "remained adamant she did not want to testify."
The family has filed a civil lawsuit against Rodriguez.
The prosecutor said, "Based on Rodriguez’ criminal history (just one low-level weapons offense from New Jersey back in 1997) the state had to offer alternative sentencing."
Attorney Johnny Houston represented Rodriguez.