Tacoma ex-cop gets 13 years for child rape

TACOMA – A former Tacoma police officer has been sentenced to at least 13 years in prison, and possibly more, after being convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl.

A jury found Michael Torres, 40, guilty of two counts of first-degree child rape and two counts of first-degree child molestation in January.

Prosecutors alleged he had his victim, who is now 12, perform oral sex on him during visits at his Tacoma apartment between November 1999 and June 2002.

A Tacoma police officer since 2000, Torres was fired after the jury announced its verdict.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Vicki Hogan sentenced Torres on Friday to 13 years, four months in prison for two of the rape and molestation counts and, because of a change in state sentencing laws, between 13 years, four months and life in prison for the other two.

The state’s Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board will decide how long Torres spends in prison under his open-ended sentence. The board will consider his prison record and whether he’s taking advantage of the programs that are offered, deputy prosecutor Jim Schacht said.

If he were released, Torres would have to register as a sex offender and be supervised in the community by the state Department of Corrections.