5/5/2008
SHARON MONTAGUE
Samuel J. Rochelle II, 25, could face life in prison after being convicted by a jury of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy.
The jury, which began deliberating Friday after hearing three days of testimony, returned its verdict Monday afternoon in Saline County District Court.
Jurors found Rochelle not guilty of rape, aggravated indecent solicitation of a child and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy.
Sentencing was set for 9:30 a.m. July 21.
Rochelle was accused of molesting a 5-year-old girl while he was caring for the girl and her sister at his Salina home on March 31, 2007.
Prosecutor Christina Trocheck, an assistant Saline County attorney, said Rochelle could face a sentence of life in prison, with no parole eligibility for at least 25 years, under Jessica’s Law. The law, named for a Florida girl who was raped and killed in 2005 by a registered sex offender, sets out tough penalties for adults convicted of violent sex crimes against children.