Jury convicts Madras man of sex abuse

A 29-year-old Madras man faces 37 years in prison after a jury convicted him this week of eight rape and sex abuse charges involving nine years of abuse involving a young girl, Jefferson County authorities said Friday.

Juan Carlos Garcia was indicted May 30 on five charges, leading to his arrest the next day. He’s been held since then at the county jail in Madras, said sheriff’s Capt. Marc Heckathorn.

A two-day jury trial began Monday and ended late Tuesday with a conviction on three counts of first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree rape, two counts of third-degree rape and one count of first-degree attempted sodomy, Heckathorn said.

Garcia was convicted of sexually abusing a girl he knew, from the age of 6 until she was 15. Heckathorn said she moved out of state while still a minor, but when she turned 18, she contacted the sheriff’s office to report the abuse.