Babysitter sentenced to 23 years in prison for child rape

A man who raped two children he used to babysit was sentenced to more than 23 years in prison this week.

Troy L. Steenhard, also known as Troy L. Bloor, was found guilty by a jury of first-degree rape of a child and two counts of first-degree child molestation in July. On Wednesday, Spokane County Superior Court Judge James Triplet sentenced Steenhard to 285 months in prison.

Steenhard had been hired to babysit two 5-year-old girls in April and May of 2016. The girls reported the abuse to their mother several months later and she called the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The girls said Steenhard told them that what he was doing was secret and he would ground them if they told, according to court records.

He was arrested in February. Steenhard has a previous conviction for second-degree domestic violence assault.