Gwinnett County man sentenced to 30 years for raping 13-year-old girl

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A Gwinnett County farm worker has been sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl at a party.

What we know:

Sergio Palomares-Guzman, 36, admitted to charges including rape, aggravated child molestation, child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, false imprisonment, and cruelty to children in the first degree. He must serve 20 years in prison without parole before being deported.

Police were called to a Grayson home in June 2023 after the child told officers a man lured her from a barn, where she had been petting horses, to a camper on the property. There, she said, she was sexually assaulted.

Investigators later confirmed Palomares-Guzman’s DNA on the girl’s underwear.

What they're saying:

"We pray that this plea and sentence bring recovery and closure to the victim and her family," Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said.