Sentenced to 75 Years to Life for 38 Sex-Related Crimes including Rape of a Child

Today, DA Gill announced a Third District Court judge sentenced Sergio Lara to 75 years to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility, this after a jury convicted him in January of four counts of first-degree felony rape of a child as well as 34 other sex-related crimes.
 
In January 2024, the mother of several young girls went to the Taylorsville Police Department to report that a relative had sexually abused three of her minor children between January 01, 2018, and December 31, 2021.
 
On March 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office charged the defendant with 38 felonies, including 24 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
 
On January 29, 2025, a Third District Court jury convicted the defendant of  four counts of first-degree felony rape of a child, four counts of first-degree felony sodomy upon a child, 24 counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child, two counts of first-degree felony forcible sodomy, and four counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.
 
Today, a Third District Court judge sentenced the defendant to 25 years to life for three counts of first-degree felony rape of a child, one for each survivor. Each of those sentences will run consecutively to each other, meaning the defendant faces 75 years to life at the Utah State Correctional Facility.  The sentences for the other charges will run concurrently to the first-degree rape of a child sentences.
 
“One of the survivors bravely stood up at the sentencing and addressed the judge, saying she wanted to stand and speak not only for herself but for her sisters; she wanted to show that she was not afraid. We applaud her and her sisters also courageously taking the stand at trial to testify against the defendant,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “We thank our prosecutors Claye Epperson and Cara Dunkelman for their aggressive and passionate prosecution of this case, our Social Workers Heather Taylor and Melissa Foulger for their dedication to the survivors, and the vital work done by our support staff. We also thank the Taylorsville Police Department for their thorough investigation, which helped ensure justice was served for these young survivors.”