Rapist Sentenced to Eight Years

Manuel Valle, convicted by a jury in September of rape by force, was sentenced to eight years in state prison Thursday morning.

Valle, now 70 years old, was also convicted by a jury of sexual penetration and false imprisonment for the 2010 incident. According to testimony at trial, Valle went into the bedroom of a female victim and pinned her down when he committed the crimes.

His victim told Judge Jean Dandona on Thursday that “It’s not easy to convey the extent of the pain and suffering I have endured.” She said she has to take medication in the morning to keep from shaking uncontrollably, and, while she was at one time a confident, outgoing person, she now often feels vulnerable.

Prosecutor Mary Barron asked the judge to consider sentencing Valle to consecutive terms, rather than concurrent. “The outrage of that conduct needs to be expressed through the sentencing process,” she said.

Deputy Public Defender Rafael Amezaga asked the court to consider the lower term. Dandona ultimately decided to sentence Valle to eight years — the upper term for the forcible rape charge, with the other counts to run concurrently. Valle will also have to pay restitution and register as a sex offender. The convictions will count as two serious strikes under California’s three strikes law.

At trial, Valle was found not guilty of a sexual battery on a second victim, and the jury split on a count of assault to commit rape. Barron dismissed that count Thursday.