José Raúl Arriaga Esteva, a 53-year-old journalist, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for lewd acts and abuse against a 12-year-old minor, according to Puerto Rico's Department of Justice. Arriaga Esteva pleaded guilty on January 8, though Justice did not clarify whether this stemmed from an agreement with the Utuado Prosecutor's Office. Judge Marcus Torres Skerrett of the Utuado Court sentenced him to 15 years for lewd acts and eight years for child abuse, to be served concurrently, meaning only the 15-year sentence applies.
However, Justice noted he will only serve three years in prison, with the remaining 12 years to be served on probation. His information will be added to Puerto Rico's Sex Offender Registry for the next 25 years. The events occurred between 2021 and 2022.
According to the victim's preliminary hearing testimony, Arriaga Esteva contacted the victim through messaging apps to gain his trust in order to exchange photographic material, and later sexually assaulted him on more than one occasion. Arriaga Esteva previously faced trial in 2013 for sexual assault against a 15-year-old minor but was acquitted in that case.