VALPARAISO — A 29-year-old Portage man was sentenced this week to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to picking up a student from an area middle school he met online and then sexually assaulting the child, records show.
Ryan Cash, who pleaded guilty to a felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor, was sentenced by Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish per the terms of the plea agreement to 10 years behind bars with five years suspended and to be served on formal probation.
Cash is required to undergo sex offender treatment and to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody.
Fish cited Cash's criminal history and a recent probation violation.
The sentence is to be served consecutive to another case in Lake County involving allegations of dealing marijuana, carrying a handgun without a license and possessing paraphernalia, the judge said.
People are also reading…
The case stems back to October 2021 when police were notified about an area middle school student claiming to have been raped outside the Portage Walmart store.
The child said Cash approached on line and arranged for a pickup after school, according to the charges. He then drove to the area of the Portage Walmart and The Home Depot stores where the child reported being choked and sexually assaulted before being driven home.
