Luis Armando Padilla Castro, 38, of Bremen was sentenced Wednesday to four years imprisonment at the Indiana Department of Corrections on a charge of Class C felony Child Molest by Judge Robert O. Bowen of Marshall Superior Court No. 1. Padilla was originally charged with two counts, but one count was dismissed in exchange for the plea of guilty to a second count amended to a Class C felony.
Judge Bowen approved the agreement which imposed a sentence of four years imprisonment, with two of the years suspended. The sentence also required Padilla to register as sex offender under Sex Offender terms. The agreement was the result of negotiations between Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tami Napier and defense counsel Tom A. Black.
Factually it was a difficult case complicated by no physical evidence and a delayed report by the victim. Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman emphasized, “In consideration of all the factors in prosecuting a case of this nature, it was in the best interest of the victim and the community to resolve the matter as set forth in the agreement.”
Immediately after sentencing, Padilla was escorted to the Marshall County Jail to formally register as a sex offender. It is reported that Padilla was very uncooperative with that process, but it was completed. From there, Padilla was immediately delivered into the custody of federal agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). Padilla will remain in their custody until permanently deported to his native country of Honduras.
