A Philomath man has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for sexually abusing two children in Lincoln County, the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office announced through a news release on Monday.
Lincoln County Circuit Judge Amanda Benjamin sentenced Hugo Gomez Tapia, 41, on July 1 to 150 months in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
Benjamin found Gomez Tapia guilty on May 22 after a four-day bench trial, in which a judge rather than a jury decides the verdict.
The convictions involved two separate victims. Gomez Tapia sexually abused a 13-year-old in 2020 and a 4-year-old in 2022, according to the district attorney’s office. Both crimes happened while he lived in Lincoln County.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Police Department investigated the case. The district attorney’s office singled out Newport police Sgt. Mike Leake for his persistence in pursuing the case so the victims could see it through to justice.
Prosecutors also credited the Lincoln County Children’s Advocacy Center, whose staff work with children who have experienced abuse, for its role in supporting the victims and the case.
District Attorney Jenna Wallace prosecuted the case.