Parolee going back to prison, this time for a sex crime

Antonio Tolentino Jr. | Bingham County Jail
BLACKFOOT — A parolee is going back to prison, this time for sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy.
Antonio Tolentino Jr., 29, was sentenced Monday to between 12 and 30 years in prison by District Judge Darren Simpson. As part of a plea agreement, Tolentino pleaded guilty to felony lewd conduct with a child under 16 in exchange for prosecutors dropping a persistent violator enhancement.
Bingham County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cousin explained in a news release that the persistent violator enhancement is Idaho’s three-strike rule. People with at least two prior felony convictions can have their sentences increased by between five years to life as a result of the enhancement.
Court records indicate Tolentino committed the lewd act on the boy in May 2020. Other details of the crime have been remained sealed as part of an order by a judge. At the time of the offense, Tolentino had been recently paroled from prison on a felony drug charge.
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Prosecutors argued Tolentino showed no remorse, had a nonchalant attitude and blamed the victim, according to Cousin in the news release. Cousin said a presentence investigation shows Tolentino is at a high-risk to commit another crime and a moderate risk to commit another sex offense.
Cousin said these factors led him to recommend Tolentino spend 15 to 40 years in prison.
Defense attorney Scott Madsen argued Tolentino’s evaluation shows the man did not demonstrate clear deviant interest. He claimed his client was immature, impulsive and had poor judgment. The news release points out Madson called the crime opportunistic and unlikely to happen again.
Madson asked Simpson to place Tolentino on a rider program.
The plea agreement was non-binding on Simpson, meaning he could sentence Tolentino to what he felt fit. Simpson also ordered Tolentino to pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the victim.
“In making his ruling the judge noted that any lesser sentence would depreciate the seriousness of the offense,” according to the news release.
Tolentino will be taken to an Idaho Department of Correction facility to serve the remainder of his sentence.
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Source: eastidahonews.com