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player ready...A Hammond man was sentenced to 78 years for raping a preteen girl multiple times on Thursday, but he remains at large.
Jorge Alberto Patino, 33, was convicted of 14 other counts — which included child molesting, rape, criminal confinement, intimidation and dissemination of matter harmful to minors during his September trial, but he was acquitted on a count of child molesting resulting in the transmission of a serious sexually transmitted disease. He was sentenced on the three counts of child molesting, while the remaining jury verdicts were vacated, according to court records.
Patino initially was arrested after he was charged in June 2024, but he posted bond and a warrant for his arrest remains outstanding, according to the court docket.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Patino repeatedly raped the girl, who was between the ages of six and eight, as a “punishment” when she refused to watch pornography.
Hammond police wrote the abuse happened sometime between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 10, 2024.
The victim told investigators that inappropriate touching had progressed to repeated sexual assaults at Patino’s relative’s house, court records state. During a police interview, she estimated he locked her in a bedroom at the relative’s home and sexually assaulted her at least 6-7 times, while people were elsewhere in the home.
The victim later told her mother she was afraid Patino would hurt her siblings, records state. He forced her to watch PornHub videos. If she didn’t, Patino said he’d make the siblings watch him assault her and assault them, too, the affidavit states.
One time, she walked in a bedroom and Patino was “lying” with her siblings and she tried to get them to leave. Enraged, he raped her after they left as “punishment,” court records state. She only watched porn when he threatened to assault her sibling.
Another time, he held and raped the victim after she tried to get away when he wanted her to watch porn, records state.
In a news release, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for crimes committed against children and reaffirmed his office’s commitment to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of the community.
The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office expressed its appreciation to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tara Villarreal, the Hammond Police Department, Dunebrook Children’s Advocacy Center, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and the Indiana State Police Laboratory and all those involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case.