A former Gallup paramedic convicted of raping of an 11-year-old boy in an Albuquerque arroyo has been sentenced to more than 40 years in prison.
State District Judge Kenneth Martinez sentenced Genaro Sandoval on Friday in Albuquerque District Court to 41 1/2 years in prison for criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13, kidnapping and sexual exploitation of a child.
The 39-year-old Sandoval was convicted in January following a two-week long trial.
Authorities say Sandoval was linked to the 2003 rape using DNA samples he submitted after pleading guilty in another case and DNA from the young boy's underwear.
But defense lawyers argued that the victim never identified Sandoval as the one involved in the assault.
Sandoval is also separately charged with molesting five other boys in creek beds.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.