‘Unimaginable’: Portland man who raped ex-girlfriend’s daughters sentenced

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Portland man was sentenced to nearly 44 years in prison on Friday for sexually abusing two young girls over several years.

A Multnomah County Circuit judge sentenced Rafael Gonzalez-Rodriguez Jr. to 43 years and 9 months in prison on Sept. 19.

As KOIN 6 News previously reported, a Multnomah County jury found Gonzalez-Rodriguez guilty on 58 counts of sex abuse involving two young girls in April.

He was convicted on many charges, including six counts of first-degree rape and 21 counts of first-degree sex abuse.

“What happened to these victims at the hands of the defendant was unimaginable,” Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Rachna Hajari said in a statement released in April.

Investigators began looking into Gonzalez-Rodriguez in September 2023. The victims began sharing what had happened with close friends and neighbors, who immediately contacted the child abuse hotline, according to a release. Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services and law enforcement responded.

The victims disclosed that the abuse began when they were between the ages of 5 and 6, and was perpetrated by their mother’s former boyfriend.

“Though the trauma of the sexual abuse will be a part of their lives forever, I hope these convictions and the jury believing the victims will bring them some comfort on their journey of healing and recovery,” Hajari said.