Jason Bender, 29, received a life sentence Monday with a possibility of parole after serving 10 years in prison for lewd acts upon a 6-year old child, according to the Carson City District Attorney's Office.
Bender, who was recently released from prison for an unrelated drug charge, groped a six year old female while her family and other adults were in a nearby room. The child later disclosed the fondling to her mother and Bender’s sister who in turn reported the crime to authorities.
At sentencing, the Defendant wrote to the Court and expressed his belief that he should not have to pay for his crime for the rest of his life. The District Attorney’s Office hi-lighted the fact that Bender did not show remorse for the impact his acts had on this child, and the brazen nature of his crime was made even worse by the fact that the child viewed him as family.
The victim’s mother also provided a statement in which she made clear that Bender did more than perpetrate a lewd act upon her daughter, but that he, in fact, stole her innocence and that he should pay for such theft with his freedom. At the conclusion of argument, Bender received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
“The Defendant is responsible for his lengthy prison sentence, and he received the sentence he deserved. I commend the young victim for her bravery. No child should ever have to endure this type of abuse. Today’s sentence serves as notice to those who would perpetrate such acts that these crimes simply will not be tolerated in our shared community,” said District Attorney Neil Rombardo in a released statement.