PORT ANGELES — A Neah Bay man has been sentenced to at least 10 years in prison for raping two children he babysat over a period of years, Clallam County prosecutors said.
Eric Stacey Greene, 54, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to single counts of first-and second-degree rape of a child.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brian Coughenour said Greene abused a position of trust to commit the crimes and commended the victims for their strength, Chief Criminal Deputy Michele Devlin said.
“The 10 years is a minimum term for Mr. Greene, who will be subjected to screening by the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board prior to any release,” Devlin said after the sentencing hearing.
Greene was originally charged Jan. 25 with two counts of first-degree rape of a child and two counts of first-degree child molestation for a series of crimes that occurred between April 2009 and October 2015.
The victims were youn- ger than 12 and 14, charging papers said.
Greene posted a $20,000 bail bond Jan. 29 and was placed on electronic home monitoring.
He pleaded guilty July 2 to single counts of first-and second-degree rape of a child.
First- and second-degree rape of a child are Class A felonies punishable by a maximum of life in prison and a $50,000 fine.
A representative of Forks Abuse Program read victim impact statements from the two child victims and their mother, according to the minutes of the sentencing hearing.
Defense attorney Stan Myers read a statement on behalf of Greene.
Devlin said Greene expressed his apologies and said he did not want to put the children through the trauma of a trial.
“This case serves as a reminder that most sex offenses occur at the hands of someone that is known to the victim and that the old adage of ‘stranger danger’ is not enough when educating our children,” Devlin said in a press release.
“The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office appreciates the assistance of Detective Julie Goode, formally of Forks Police Department, and the FBI for their work on this case.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.