WILLCOX, Ariz. — An Arizona man was sentenced Tuesday to 17.5 years in federal prison after DNA testing pinpointed him as the suspect in a 2004 rape case against a girl on the Gila River Indian Community.
Joshua W. Scheu, 37, of Willcox had pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor for a crime committed nearly two decades ago.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Scheu was driving in the Gila River community and noticed a girl waiting on the side of the road for some friends. The defendant jumped out of his car, chased after the girl, and pushed her into a nearby cornfield where Scheu raped her.
The case remained unsolved until 2019 when DNA testing led detectives to identify Scheu as a suspect.
After completing his 210-month prison sentence, Scheu will be placed on supervised probation for life and must register as a sex offender.
"This sentencing should send a clear message to those who sexually harm innocent children in our community," said Phoenix FBI Special Agent Sean Kaul.
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