By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 5, 2015

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - A former youth pastor in an unincorporated community north of Salem has been sentenced to 33 years and four months in prison after being convicted of repeatedly raping a girl under the age of 16.

The Statesman Journal in Salem reports (https://stjr.nl/1Ecivlq ) that 36-year-old Peter James Bass was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree rape and waived his right to a jury trial. He was arrested Jan. 21.

Bass’s attorney said the pastor didn’t want to put the victim through the trauma of a trial.

Upon his release, Bass will have to complete 46 years and eight months of post-prison supervision and will have to register as a sex offender.

A first-degree rape charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of eight years and four months.

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Information from: Statesman Journal, https://www.statesmanjournal.com

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