MIFFLINTOWN - A man convicted of raping a child was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 5 to 10 years in a state correctional facility.
As in past court appearances, the defendant, William H. Anaya, 24, a native of El Salvador, spent much of his allotted time to speak embracing his faith in God.
At times, Anaya smiled as a spoke through a translator about his faith, but he did not at any point deny any wrongdoing.
Anaya's case went before a jury in April and he was found guilty of two counts of rape of a child and one count of statutory sexual assault.
During sentencing proceedings on Tuesday, Anaya's attorney, Steven Manbeck, said his client is "a young man in many ways," referring to the defendant's childlike emotional age.
During a previous sentencing hearing in July, President Judge Jolene Grubb Kopriva, of Blair County, who has been presiding over the case, cited concerns about the "emotional maturity" of the defendant, prompting her to order a psychological evaluation for Anaya.
At that same hearing in July, Anaya said, "I would never hurt anybody," referring to the 11-year-old female victim.
Anaya added that he was "looking for someone to love and have a relationship with."
According to court documents, on Oct. 30, 2008, the father of the victim found Anaya naked in the basement of his home, with the victim close by and wearing only a bra. The police were contacted and the victim was interviewed by law enforcement officers.
The victim told police she had sex with Anaya only on the night in question, documents indicate.
Police said the victim knew Anaya through church activities and she made arrangements for Anaya to come over to her house on the night in question.
Anaya was interviewed by police and admitted to having sex with the girl several times during the course of several months, also acknowledging he knew the victim was 11 years old, court documents indicate.
Pending further court action, Anaya remains incarcerated at the Juniata County Jail awaiting a transfer to the State Correctional Institute at Camp Hill.
