Joshua Gonzalez.

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

An Albany man who confessed to raping a 13-year-old girl he met on Snapchat will spend years behind bars.

Joshua Gonzalez, 28, was sentenced to seven years in prison Monday, Nov. 17, in Albany County Court. It followed his guilty pleas to second-degree rape and disseminating indecent material to minors, both felonies.

Gonzalez began communicating with the girl on Snapchat in early May, according to prosecutors. Over time, he pressured her into sharing inappropriate content and later arranged to meet her in Mosher Park in Ravena, where he raped her.

A family member discovered the teenager with Gonzalez in his car on Saturday, May 10, and immediately contacted the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies arrested Gonzalez two days later at his Albany home with assistance from the FBI.

The victim addressed the court during sentencing Monday, describing how the abuse has affected her emotionally.

“I don’t feel comfortable in my body anymore,” she said. “I barely sleep at night because of the night terrors I get. I’ve lost all trust in people.”

Albany County Court Judge William Little praised her courage for speaking directly to her abuser during the hearing.

Along with his prison sentence, Gonzalez will serve 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. A no-contact order of protection was also issued for the victim and her family.