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WEST JORDAN — Two men accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who was in and out of consciousness and another man charged with videotaping the sexual encounter were sentenced Wednesday to 48 months of probation.
Third District Judge Douglas Hogan sentenced each to between one and 15 years in prison but suspended the prison sentences in lieu of probation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will first address the immigration status of two of the men before they begin serving the probation.
All three have been incarcerated since September of 2017 when the charges were filed. Richard Djassera, 26, of Murray; Dodjim Leclair, 29, of Murray; and Nasouh Albasis-Albasis, 24, of West Valley City, were each charged initially with two counts of aggravated sexual assault, a first-degree felony. Djassera was also charged with an additional four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
Under plea deals, Djassera pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony, after attorneys noted there was no evidence that he engaged in sex with the victim. Leclair and Albasis both pleaded guilty to a reduced count of rape, a second-degree felony.
According to police, the 14-year-old victim sneaked out of a sleepover to meet with the three men, who took her to multiple parties where she got drunk. Later, two of the men raped her while she was in and out of consciousness in the car, and the third recorded the encounter on video.
Salt Lake County deputy district attorney Samuel Sutton said prosecutors worked closely with the victim and she supports the plea bargains that were offered. She did not attend the sentencing hearing and did not wish to make any statement to the judge.
Sutton agreed that there was no evidence in this case of any force or coercion, but indicated that the girl was too intoxicated to give consent.
Hogan noted the substantial amount of time that has passed since the charges were filed when handing down the sentences, saying much of that delay was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the lawyers involved in the case had "done an extraordinary job" at litigating the case and balancing the concerns of each side.
While all three were ordered to be released from jail, Djassera and Leclair will be under the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to address their immigration statuses. A hearing was also set for the three men in June to address restitution and probation.
