A Carpinteria man was found guilty Thursday on charges of forcible rape, but a jury did not convict him of sexual battery with a second victim.
Manuel Valle, who was 68 at the time of his arrest in 2010, was accused of sexually assaulting two women inside his home in Carpinteria.
With the first victim, a jury found Valle guilty of forcible rape, forcible sexual penetration and false imprisonment.
For these charges, Valle could be facing anywhere from three years to nearly 11 years in prison, depending on how the judge rules in the case.
With the second victim, the jury found Valle not guilty of sexual battery. The jury was hung on assault to commit rape, and a mistrial was declared on that count.
“I greatly appreciate the jury’s careful attention to the evidence in this case and the law, since there are many legal nuances for the various sex crimes charged,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Mary Barron told Noozhawk.
Valle’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 1, and Barron said she would like to reserve further comment until then.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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