EVERETT — A teenage girl watched as a judge sentenced a man, who raped her when she was a child, to 14 years behind bars.
The girl and her mother tuned in to a live-streamed sentencing hearing Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Jason Dominguez, now 36, of Sultan, was convicted earlier this year by a jury of second-degree rape of a child, third-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. The defendant worked as a guard at the Monroe prison while he repeatedly abused the child. He also served as co-president of a school parent-teacher organization in Gold Bar.
At the hearing, deputy prosecutor Martina Wong told the judge that Dominguez went to “great lengths” to become close with the victim and her family. Wong argued his motive was to be alone with the girl.
“He assumed a caring role as a father figure to her, befriended her and exploited his position of trust and authority,” Wong told the court.
The girl met Dominguez, a man 20 years her senior, when she was a Girl Scout. He was a Girl Scouts volunteer.
Dominguez and the girl began exchanging messages over social media around 2017, according to charging papers. In September of that year, he sent her a pornographic image via Facebook, asking if she would do that for him. She told him no, because it was gross and “I’m only 13.”
Other conversations shared in court were more explicit.
The girl took the witness stand during the trial. She estimated Dominguez raped herbetween 10 and 12 times when she visited himand his kids.
The girl was afraid to report the sexual assaults, she said, “because I didn’t want his family to get hurt.”
In 2019, the girl’s mother reported to police screenshots of the inappropriate messages Dominguez sent her daughter, she testified in court.
The mother said she also trusted Dominguez, and that she did not suspect the defendant had done anything inappropriate before she found the messages during a routine check.
Under state guidelines, Dominguez faced between about 12 to 16 years behind bars for his convictions. The defendant did not have any prior felony convictions.
Defense attorney Eli Jacobsenasked the judge for a sentence on the low end of therange.
“We understand that these are very serious crimes that he was convicted of,” Jacobsen told the court. “I think this is a situation where the severity of the crime is baked into what a minimum sentence looks like.”
Deputy prosecutor Wong asked the judge to hand down a sentence on the high end.
Superior Court Judge Anita Farris sentenced Dominguez to about 14 years in prison.
The judge ordered Dominguez to get a sexual deviance evaluation by a state-certified therapist within 30 days of his release from prison. The defendant was legally forbidden from having prolonged contact with minor children without the presence of an adult who’s aware of his offense. Dominguez was ordered to stay out of areas where children’s activities occur or are occurring, including parks, schools, daycare facilities, playgrounds, wading pools, swimming poolsand sports fields.
The former prison guard was forbidden to have any involvement with any Girl Scout activities upon release.
He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Help for survivors of sexual abuse
Dawson Place, an advocacy center for child abuse victims, is at 1509 California St. in Everett. Staff can advise survivors, family and friends about how to make a report or seek help. The center can be reached at 425-789-3000.
RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, runs a 24-hour national hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673), in partnership with 1,000 sexual assault service providers.
Domestic Violence Services Snohomish County also has a 24-hour hotline: 425-25-ABUSE.
Ellen Dennis: 425-339-3486; edennis@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterellen.
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