CEDAR CITY — A man who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a fellow Greyhound bus passenger in late July has been sentenced to one year in jail, plus three years of probation.
Diego A. Marquez-Rincon, 20, had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Beaver on Monday before 5th District Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen but instead pleaded guilty to a single count of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and was sentenced immediately thereafter.
As previously reported, Marquez-Rincon was arrested the morning of July 29 after law enforcement officers were called to the scene where the bus had exited northbound Interstate 15 in Beaver. A woman who had been riding on the bus told police the suspect had been touching her sexually throughout the trip, including on her breast and genital areas.
During Monday’s court hearing, Marquez-Rincon, who was represented by court-appointed defender Shain Manuele, accepted the factual basis for the charge and said he understood the requirement to register as a sex offender, as well as the various other terms outlined in his plea agreement.
Judge Allen then imposed the 1-15 years in prison that a second-degree felony charge carries but suspended that term and instead ordered Marquez-Rincon to spend one year in jail, with credit given for the three-and-a-half weeks he had already served.
He was also placed on 36 months of probation to be supervised by the court. No fines or fees were imposed.
The judge noted that she was not making any decisions regarding the possible deportation of the defendant, who is not a U.S. citizen.
Beaver County Attorney Leo Kanell told Cedar City News on Wednesday it’s possible that Marquez-Rincon could be released earlier to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
“If he is deported, he may not return to this country unless he can do so legally,” Kanell said.
According to Beaver County’s online jail records, where the defendant’s name is listed as Diego Alessandro Rincon Marquez, he was transferred to a different facility on Thursday morning, although the record did not specify the location where he was taken.
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