Donald C. Mazariegos-Vicente

A Stafford County jury last night recommended a 210-year prison sentence for a man who repeatedly molested his 6-year-old niece.

Donald C. Mazariegos-Vicente, 29, was convicted in Stafford Circuit Court of 18 felonies, including rape, forcible sodomy and multiple counts of aggravated sexual battery and taking indecent liberties with a child. The jury-recommended prison term is one of the area's longest in recent memory. Mazariegos-Vicente will be formally sentenced on March 6 by Judge J. Martin Bass.

Jurors also recommended fines totaling $425,000.

Defense attorney Vanessa Jordan had a tough task yesterday. The victim, now 7, gave clear and detailed testimony about the things her uncle did to her.

In addition, Mazariegos-Vicente gave a statement to police in which he admitted to the molestation after first denying it.

In the statement, Mazariegos-Vicente said the attacks may have happened while he was having a blackout. He also blamed the "Devil" for his actions.

According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Eric Olsen, the child lives in another locality with her mother.

The attacks occurred in 2007 and early this year when the girl came to Stafford to spend time with her father. The girl testified that she was molested more than 10 times in various ways.

At one point she told her father what was happening, but Olsen said the father did nothing more than tell his brother to stop what he was doing.

The father, Cesar R. Mazariegos-Vicente, was convicted of child neglect in August and ordered to spend six months in prison. Olsen said he has or will be deported.

The girl finally told her mother what had happened in February and the mother immediately contacted authorities.

Jordan, who claimed Mazariegos-Vicente was confused when he made his statement to police, asked the jurors to allow her client to be free again one day.

"He can still make a positive turnaround if you give him the opportunity," Jordan said.

Olsen said Mazariegos-Vicente deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.

"He has changed this child forever, and he should never have the chance to do it to another child," Olsen said.