Convicted child molester receives max sentence

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – A convicted child molester has received the maximum allowable sentence in Vanderburgh County Superior Court.

Prosecutor Diana Moers said in a release that Oscar Rax Xi was sentenced to 50 years by Judge Les Shively plus an additional concurrent 11 years.

Moers said in July 2023, Holly’s House conducted a forensic interview and uncovered the sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl. Moers also said interviewers were able to determine that Xi regularly sexually abused the victim and used tape to keep the child from screaming.

Rax Xi also reportedly made comments about fleeing back to Guatemala throughout the investigation.

According to the release, Judge Shively heard details that the abuse spanned the child’s lifetime and included continuous sexual and physical abuse while the child was kept inside the house and away from society. Moers said the child has remaining mental and physical scars.

“I personally handled this sentencing hearing and requested the maximum possible sentence allowable by law (noting that consecutive sentencing was not permissible in this case based on the facts and caselaw) to ensure that the community knows child molestation and abuse cases are a top priority,” Moers said. “In my office all child abuse and molestation cases are considered high-profile matters and given the utmost consideration and resources. This case has touched all who have worked on it. At the sentencing hearing the victim’s new loving foster parents wrote a very impactful statement of the damage this defendant did to this small child throughout their life; they have suffered mentally and physically at the hands of the Defendant for years. The dedicated CASA worker also gave testimony, and I presented case law and factual arguments to justify the maximum allowable sentence in this matter. The victim herself also bravely testified to tell the court what they would like to see happen. I thank Judge Les Shively for his dedication to children and his amazing handling of this case. The court can be a scary place, but we have all worked together to ensure this very young victim had a voice. Because of the care taken by the Judge, this young child felt comfortable taking the stand at the sentencing. Now, this child never has to worry about being hurt by this monster again: the sentence handed down coupled with his sexually violent predator designation will hopefully ensure he never has access to another child. The victim in this case is a survivor and has inspired us all with their remarkable resilience and bravery— that even most adults would not be capable of given the same circumstances. We will never forget this innocent child and want them to know they will remain in our hearts.”

The release also says Rax Xi will be a credit-restricted felon and have a lifetime designation as a sexually violent predator.

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