Honduras man found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in a Topeka park

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A 20-year-old Honduras man was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison after being charged after raping a 13-year-old girl in 2023.

According to the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office, 20-year-old Kevin Javier Benitez, a Honduras citizen was sentenced to 165 months with the Kansas Secretary of Corrections Thursday for one count of rape where the victim was under the age of 14 and the offender was older than 18.

The State recommended a sentence for life with the eligibility for parole after 25 years served, but The Court didn't take that recommendation. Benitez was instead given the 165 month sentence due to his age and lack of criminal history. This decision comes after a jury trial ended on May 30, 2024, and the Shawnee County District Court found Benitez guilty of rape.

On July 26, 2023, Topeka police officers were dispatched to southeast Topeka Boulevard in reference to a rape. Officers got there and made contact with a 13-year-old girl. According to police, Benitez met the victim the same day the sexual assault took place. After a subsequent investigation, it was found that the assault happened in a park. Benitez was later found and taken into custody.

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