Teen sentenced to 18 years for rape
May 10—GOSHEN — Seventeen-year-old Kyle Wright was sentenced to 18 years with the Indiana Department of Corrections on Friday following a guilty plea in March for rape, a Level 3 felony, and child molestation, a Level 3 felony.
Police were notified by CAPS on Aug. 30, 2022, of a child molestation that had occurred two weeks prior.
The mother of a 9-year-old told police that she'd gone up to her daughter's room and discovered her daughter and Wright, 16 at the time, engaged in oral sex. The girl said she was coerced, and that he covered her mouth to keep her from yelling, choked her, and raped her, among other things.
Wright told police during an interview that he thought the girl was 12, and claimed that she forced herself on him, and he'd tried to get away but then gave up. Wright was waived to adult court.
During his sentencing, Wright said he felt bad about what he did, and if he could take it back, he would.
With just over 60 days until his 18th birthday, Elkhart County Superior Court 3 Judge Teresa Cataldo said Wright would serve his sentence in adult court.
"He raped a 9-year-old," she said. "The court does not find that it's appropriate to put him in a facility where there are younger individuals where he could further victimize them."
Wright was sentenced to a total of 18 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections. Each charge received nine years, with five years to be served in prison and four years suspended on reporting probation, to be served consecutively.
Public defender Jeffrey Majerik asked that the sentence be served concurrently instead, but Cataldo didn't agree, calling the crime two separate acts.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.
