VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A contractor was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to raping an 11-year-old girls on three separate occasions.

Ricardo Mejia was hired to renovate a family’s bathroom but instead committed crimes against the child on three different occasions. He was charged with three counts of rape of a child under the age of 13, and for breaking into the home.

With a heavy accent that was difficult to understand at times, he addressed the court Tuesday before his sentencing to apologize.

“I know I am not the only one experiencing hard times,” said Mejia. "I’m sorry for the pain she is going through in this process."

A search warrant outlines how on Oct. 9, 2024 around 2:30 a.m., the parents heard noises coming from their 11-year-old daughter’s bedr

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