By Chris Dumond, Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: February 5, 2008

An illegal immigrant was sent to prison for 3½ years Tuesday morning after he was convicted of aggravated sexual battery in Bedford County Circuit Court.

Santos Wenceslao Guzman, 42, of El Salvador, entered an Alford plea to one count of aggravated sexual battery against an 8-year-old girl. The Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain his innocence while admitting prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him.

According to Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown, Guzman was arrested after two 8-year-old girls reported they were fondled at the Goodwill store on Virginia 221 in Forest on Sept. 1. Gary Reynolds, chief of the sheriff’s office Child Sexual Offender Registration and Tracking Unit was off duty and in the area when the call came in.

Reynolds arrested Guzman as he was walking out of the store.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance said Tuesday that Guzman will likely be deported to his home country after serving his sentence in a Virginia prison.

“Basically, we were able to verify he was in the U.S. legally at one time on a six-month valid visa,” Nance said. “At the end of 2004, though, he never left.”

An official from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was in court Tuesday, Nance said, and served Guzman with notice of an administrative deportation hearing after he was sentenced. That means Guzman will be released into the custody of federal agents at the end of his 3½-year term.

Rather than deport him right away, the Virginia Department of Corrections will be able to ensure Guzman doesn’t turn around and re-enter the country illegally again to commit another crime, Nance said.

“At least for the next 3½ years, we’ll be able to keep track of him,” Nance said.

Guzman was sentenced to a total of 15 years with the majority suspended. If he comes back into the country again after he’s deported, he’s subject to the remainder of that sentenced being enforced.