Man sentenced to jail for sexually assaulting teen girl

Ernesto Alonso Barrera Zarco jail booking photo. (Photo: Cache County Jail)

LOGAN — A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to more than five months in jail for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl earlier this year. Ernesto Alonso Barrera-Zarco was ordered to serve 172 days and given credit for the 172 days already served.

Barrera was sentenced Monday morning in 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a third-degree felony.

Barrera was arrested in July after Logan City Police officers received a report of the sexual offense. The victim explained how she and another teenage girl arranged to meet the defendant, who agreed to provide them alcohol.

After picking the girls up March 6, Barrera and another man drove to a local convenience store, where he purchased beer. They then went to a local hotel and rented a room.

During a forensic interview at the Children’s Justice Center, the victim explained to investigators how she had told Barrera that she didn’t want to do anything with him. She reportedly fell asleep and later woke up as he was raping her.

The other girl told investigators that Barrera raped her six times. She described how the victim was crying and telling him to stop.

When police interviewed him, Barrera admitted to having sex at a Logan hotel with the victim in March. He claimed that he was suspicious of her age but she told him she was 22-years-old.

Barrera spoke through an interpreter, during Monday’s sentencing. He told the court, “I just want to apologize. I am guilty.”

Judge Angela Fonnesbeck noted that Barrera is on an immigration hold because of the crimes and still won’t be released from jail. She said the case was a tragic circumstance that the defendant was going to continue to pay the consequences for.

Judge Fonnesbeck also sentenced Barrera to be placed on probation for 48 months and the sex-offender registry. She ordered him to complete an English language course and have no contact with the victim.


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3 Comments

  • Lisa Admundson December 20, 2022 at 9:36 am Reply

    Hang on – 172 days in jail for rape? It’s a 1st Degree Felony crime that carries a MINIMUM sentence of 5 to 25 years in state prison. I don’t care if the judge thinks their culture makes them think differently about adults having sex with kids – this sentence is a joke.

  • Jim Jones December 20, 2022 at 3:40 pm Reply

    Hopefully, the same happens to him in prison.

  • Kramer December 21, 2022 at 12:48 pm Reply

    ….time served lol. This dude is out free already.

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