brassmonkey |
04-30-2019 03:48 PM |
School Bus Driver Who Raped 14-Year-Old Girl Gets No Prison Time
https://i.imgur.com/lSKQXhA.jpg
A New York man was sentenced to 10 years probation but no prison time after pleading guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl he met while driving a school bus. The judge in the case defended his controversial ruling by pointing out that Piche had only raped one girl, rather than multiple.
Shane Piche reportedly met the victim through his job as a school bus driver in Watertown City School District in upstate New York last year. Piche, who is either 25 or 26 years old according to conflictingreports, raped the 14-year-old student at his home in June 2018 and was later arrested in September.
Piche was initially charged with second-degree rape, first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child and endangering the welfare of a child by providing alcohol to the victim before the assault, according to Watertown Daily Times. The victim’s mother told local news station WWNY in February that Piche “bought her daughter gifts and invited her and other minors to his home where he gave them alcohol.”
Piche, who is no longer employed by the Watertown City school district, pled guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree rape in February. He was expected to be designated a Level 2 sex offender, which according to the state means there is a “medium risk of re-offense.” As a Level 2 offender, Piche’s address would have been available to the public.
Last week, Piche was sentenced to 10 years probation and designated a Level 1 sex offender by Judge James P. McClusky. Level 1 sex offenders are the lowest risk designation on the registry, and their addresses are not available to the public.
McClusky justified the ruling by saying that Piche had no prior arrests and there was only one victim in the case, according to the Watertown Daily Times. Piche will have to pay fines including $375 in court fees and $1,000 in sex offender registration fees. He is also not allowed to be alone with anyone under 17 years old.
article...
|