SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 5, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A convicted Utah child rapist was sentenced Friday to 75 years to life in prison.
Sergio Lara, 50 was convicted on Jan. 29 of four counts of first-degree felony rape of a child, four counts of first-degree felony sodomy upon a child, 24 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child, two counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy, and four counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.
A probable cause statement, filed in Salt Lake County Third District Court, shows Lara was arrested Feb. 7, 2024 after a mother alerted the Taylorsville Police Department a relative had sexually abused three of her minor children between Jan.01, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2021.
“On March 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office charged the defendant with 38 felonies, including 24 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child,” says a news release from the SLCo District Attorney’s Office.
“One of the survivors bravely stood up at the sentencing and addressed the judge, saying she wanted to stand and speak not only for herself but for her sisters; she wanted to show that she was not afraid. We applaud her and her sisters also courageously taking the stand at trial to testify against the defendant,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
The judge in Lara’s case sentenced him to 25 years to life for three counts of first-degree felony rape of a child, one for each survivor.
“Each of those sentences will run consecutively, meaning the defendant faces 75 years to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility,” the DA Office’s news release said.
“The sentences for the other charges will run concurrently to the first-degree rape of a child sentences.”
