Albuquerque man sentenced to 36 years in prison for raping underage girl

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man convicted of raping a young girl has been sentenced to 36 years in prison. Jeremy Guthrie was stopped with a group of minors in his car. He later admitted to driving drunk that night, but his behavior proved to be much more disturbing.

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On Monday, Guthrie’s defense argued in court that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone. “A lot of people have been lonely, people who were already lonely have been even lonelier, and it may have led to alcohol, as it appears Mr. Guthrie did in this particular situation,” defense attorney Jay Nair said.

In 2022, Guthrie tried to explain to police officers what he was doing while driving around with a group of children. He claimed the girl in his passenger seat was 18, but in reality she was 12. Guthrie had an ongoing sexual relationship with her after they met on Snapchat. A jury found him guilty of nine counts of rape.

Members of Guthrie’s family spoke to Judge David Murphy, saying the charges against him were not for him and asking Judge Murphy for leniency, mercy and a second chance.

Guthrie also apologized to the victim’s family, but the state argued that Guthrie’s apology was not good enough and that he still had not taken responsibility. “COVID did not make other people rape children, alcohol is just an excuse, alcohol does not make you rape a child,” said prosecutor Emilie Edmonds.

The state asked for the maximum possible sentence, 112.5 years. The defense asked for a 12-year sentence plus probation and alcohol treatment. The judge said today that everyone would lose out on that decision. He sentenced Guthrie to 36 years in prison. Guthrie will also have to register as a sex offender after his release.

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