The Hoquiam man charged in 2015 with a years-long pattern of sexual abuse of a minor has been found guilty of rape of a child and child molestation and was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Superior Court Judge Ray Kahler.

The defendant, Kenneth Robert Aronson, was tried on the charges once before but that ended in a hung jury in July of last year. He was retried and found guilty by a jury in a one-day trial April 18. His sentencing was last Friday.

Aronson maintains that he is innocent and immediately filed for an appeal.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence beyond the standard range of 10 years to 13 1/3 years due to the length of time the molestation had taken place, about six years. Aronson is in his late 50s.

“The defendant is in complete denial about his sexual deviancy,” the prosecution wrote in its sentencing recommendation. “Additionally, the defendant repeatedly violated the court’s pretrial release conditions of this case, including leaving the county without permission, failing to maintain law abiding behavior, and being in possession of firearms when he was found to have 16 firearms in his home” during police searches involving a separate case in recent months. The prosecution recommended 13 1/3 years to life in prison.

Aronson’s defense attorney, David L. Mistachkin, said in his own sentencing recommendation documents that his client continues to deny all of the charges against him and, since Aronson has no prior felony convictions, the low end of the standard sentencing range, 10 years, was appropriate. Mistachkin also noted the “lack of medical evidence, independent witnesses, or DNA evidence to support or corroborate the allegations made against Mr. Aronson,” adding, “Mr. Aronson has steadfastly denied all allegations both in a confrontation call (with the victim’s mother), a voluntary interview with law enforcement, and on the witness stand when he testified at trial.”

At sentencing, a number of Aronson’s supporters either spoke or provided the court with letters defending him, one from a former teacher, others from longtime friends.

In the end, Kahler ruled for 10 years total in jail with credit for time already served.

The case

According to court documents, the daughter of a woman Aronson had dated and who at that time lived in a residence on Aronson’s property, talked about inappropriate sexual behavior between 2005 and 2011, when she was between the ages of 6 and 11. She described inappropriate touching and being paid by Aronson for sexual acts. She said she had not reported anything earlier as she was unaware what was happening was wrong.

In an impact statement filed with the court, the victim’s mother wrote, in part, “(Aronson) doesn’t and has not as long as I have known him take any responsibility for his actions or wrongdoings. For the crime he has committed against my daughter he has finally been convicted of what was initially reported in November 2014 and here it is, May 2018.”

She described her frustration at the prolonged delays during the case and alleged Aronson had harassed her publicly and privately in between trials.

Aronson immediately began serving his sentence after the sentencing pending his request for appeal.