Lenexa man pleads guilty to aggravated sexual assault in Douglas County | News, Sports, Work

photo author: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Jose Garcia Melgarejo appears in Douglas County District Court with his attorney, Veronica Dersch.

A Lenexa man was sentenced Monday in Douglas County District Court on one count of aggravated sexual assault for an incident that occurred three years ago in southeast Lawrence.

Jose Garcia Melgarejo, 41, pleaded guilty to the crime as part of a plea deal with the state, which initially charged him with the more serious crime of aggravated sodomy. Assistant District Attorney Samantha Foster told the court that the plea deal was reached with the participation and support of the victim.

Foster said that if the case had gone to trial, the evidence would have shown that Garcia Melgarejo and the woman visited the Prairie Park Nature Center on Oct. 7, 2021, and that Garcia Melgarejo sexually touched the woman without her consent “while she was subdued.” by force or fear.”

Judge Stacey Donovan will sentence Garcia Melgarejo on December 6. Because he has no apparent criminal record, he could face probation or prison time for a felony, depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The parties — including the victim, according to the state — agreed that a community-based treatment option was available that would promote the defendant’s rehabilitation and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.

Garcia Melgarejo will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years.