Post by honeybee on Apr 25, 2007 20:18:35 GMT -4
Child Delivered Baby By Caesarian Section
ABBEVILLE, S.C. -- An Abbeville man pleaded guilty Tuesday to raping and impregnating a girl when she was 9 years old.
In January 2006, William Edward Ronca, who was 26 at the time, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
Ronca was arrested after the girl was found to be seven to eight months pregnant. A school guidance counselor told the girl's mother that the child was acting withdrawn and was not participating at school. The girl was taken to Abbeville County Memorial Hospital, where the pregnancy was confirmed.
Arrest warrants said that Ronca had been "having sex with the girl" for more than a year, and told her not to tell anyone.
At the time of the arrest, the mother told a newspaper that she did not know her daughter was pregnant.
In emotional testimony, the girl's biological father said instead of enjoying her childhood, his 10-year-old daughter had to undergo a Caesarean section delivery.
He said his daughter will never be a child again -- that every time she undresses and sees the stretch marks and scars from the surgery, she is reminded about what happened. The father cried as he said how difficult it was for him to watch his daughter giving birth and having a C-section at such a young age.
Both of the child's grandmothers spoke. One of them called the girl her "little angel." She asked the judge for justice in the case.
The girl has since given birth. Her biological parents decided to put the child up for adoption.
Ronca's family, mother, cousin and uncle were in the courtroom for the proceedings and spoke on his behalf. His mother told the court that she did not condone what he did but she will love him and support him.
She said he's had a hard life and she still loves him. She also told the court that she, too, suffered sexual abuse at a young age. The cousin, a 14-year-old girl, told the court that Ronca used to baby sit her and that he never did anything wrong to her.
Ronca then read a letter out loud in the courtroom that he wrote to the judge while incarcerated. In it, he admitted his guilt and expressed condolences to the family and the victim and asked for forgiveness from God and leniency from the court.
He also admitted that rapes had been going on once or twice a week for about two years.
Judge Gary Hill sentenced Ronca to 25 years in prison. He had faced a maximum sentence of 30 years. Hill gave him a lesser sentence for time served and because he apologized to the family and admitted his guilt, but he required him to complete at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
Hill also required Ronca to see a mental health specialist as part of his sentence.
