FARGO — A 53-year-old man accused of sexual assault and incest was sentenced Tuesday, May 28, to seven years behind bars.
Sergio Hidalgo Jr., of West Fargo, appeared in Cass County District Court where Judge John Irby sentenced Hidalgo on felony charges of gross sexual imposition and incest.
The judge gave Hidalgo credit for having already spent 454 days in jail. After prison, Hidalgo must serve five years of supervised probation.
In February, Hidalgo entered an Alford plea on both charges. In an Alford plea, a defendant doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges there's enough evidence for a judge or jury to convict them.
The victim spoke at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, recounting the trauma she now endures. She asked the judge to give Hidalgo the maximum sentence.
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“I don’t want to see him,” she said. “I want him to go away.”
Given a chance to speak, Hidalgo became emotional and said he struggles with his actions.
“It hurts me to have hurt her,” he said tearfully.
According to court documents, police were dispatched to a home in the Brookwood mobile home park in March 2018 after receiving a report of a suicidal man.
Dispatchers received a 911 text message from the victim, saying that Hidalgo “had raped her and that he was now going to kill himself,” court documents show.
Hidalgo surrendered to police and was taken into custody without incident.
Court documents allege Hidalgo committed a sexual act when the victim was asleep and was unaware. At Tuesday's hearing, the judge ordered Hidalgo to have no contact with the victim.
