Rapist, son of prominent Oakland politician, gets 14 years

Taken from the Contra Costa Times:

OAKLAND -- Ignacio De La Fuente Jr., the namesake of Oakland's City Council president, was sentenced Friday to 14 years in state prison for raping three prostitutes and a 15-year-old girl in the Fruitvale neighborhood.
Wearing a green jacket and tan slacks, De La Fuente Jr. sat still with no emotion, as Alameda County Superior Court Judge Allan Hymer told him he would spend about a decade in prison and have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, his family, including Council President De La Fuente also sat quietly showing little emotion.

The family was surrounded by almost two dozen supporters including council members Patricia Kernighan and Henry Chang Jr.; Danny Wan, former councilman and now an attorney at Port of Oakland; and Libby Schaaf, director of public affairs for the Port of Oakland.

As De La Fuente Jr. was escorted from the courtroom, he smiled and waved to his family and supporters.

None of the four victims appeared in court Friday morning, but the mother of the 15-year-old was present and asked to speak before the sentence was read. Her request was denied by Hymer.

The 34-year-old De La Fuente Jr. could be released from prison by his 44th birthday, a far cry from the multiple life sentences he faced when his trial began in May.

The article goes on to say:

The lesser sentence was a result of a plea bargain deal reached with the Alameda County district attorney's office. The deal was struck after three of the four victims testified.

"It's a compromise," said Robert Belles, an attorney representing De La Fuente Jr. "It could have been a life sentence and he would never have seen the light of day again."

Nevertheless, Belles said he still believes there are enough questions in the case to raise doubt about his client's guilt.

De La Fuente Jr. pled guilty to five criminal counts including forcible rape, forcible sexual penetration and forcible oral copulation.

His rape spree began from October 2003 through 2005. In each incident, De La Fuente Jr. picked up the women on the streets of Fruitvale and drove them to secluded areas near Oakland's waterfront, the women testified.

Once there, he parked his car with the passenger side against a building or fence to block their exit and then demanded a sexual act. After he was finished, De La Fuente Jr. refused to pay. The women said De La Fuente Jr. forced himself upon them without using protection. When he finished, the witnesses said, De La Fuente Jr. threw them out of his GMC pickup and drove away.

Although the defense team attempted to discredit the witnesses, the jury believed the sexual assaults had occurred, deputy district attorney Brian Owens said at the time of the plea deal.

Reference

Councilman's son gets 14 years in rape case