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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW One plant too many: Medical marijuana grower sentenced to jail ... Another round of wind for the Rogue Valley ... Coast Guard suspends search for missing fishermen ... One plant too many: Medical marijuana grower sentenced to jail ... Another round of wind for the Rogue Valley ... Coast Guard suspends search for missing fishermen ... Medford man gets 25 years for sex abuse Oregon's version of 'Jessica's Law' drives sentencing; Stinger apologizes to victim A Medford man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison under Oregon's version of "Jessica's Law" for sexually abusing a child. Comment By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 21, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 21, 2010 at 2:21 AM By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 21, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 21, 2010 at 2:21 AM » Social News A Medford man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison under Oregon's version of "Jessica's Law" for sexually abusing a child. Rockey Lee Stinger, 26, pleaded guilty Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court to a single count of first-degree sodomy, which is legally defined as "engaging in deviant sexual intercourse with a minor child under 12 years of age," said Deputy District Attorney David Hoppe. "Jessica's Law" is named after Jessica Lunsford, a young Florida girl who was raped and murdered in February 2005 by John Couey, a previously convicted sex offender. It requires a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for adults convicted of raping, sodomizing or sexually penetrating a child under 12 years of age. Several states have since adopted versions of Jessica's Law. Oregon's was signed into law by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in April 2006, following a bill passed in a special session of the Oregon Legislature. Judge Mark Schiveley on Friday sentenced Stinger to the 25-year mandatory sentence for the Measure 11 crime, Hoppe said. "(Stinger) will also have lifetime post-prison supervision after he is released from prison and be required to register as a sex offender," Hoppe said. Stinger was originally indicted by a grand jury on July 15 on five counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and five counts of first-degree sex abuse. The remaining 11 counts were dismissed as part of the plea negotiations, Hoppe said. The crimes occurred between October 2003 and June 2009. Under Jessica's Law, the minimum and maximum sentence for this Measure 11 sex crime is 25 years. By contrast, the maximum life sentence for murder is life and the minimum sentence is 25 years, Hoppe said. Stinger's admission to the single Measure 11 charge of first-degree sodomy assured him of the sentence under Jessica's Law. It also meant the child victim would not have to testify in open court, Hoppe said. Stinger, already on probation for pleading guilty to drug and child neglect charges in 2009, apologized at Friday's sentencing. "I am deeply sorry for what I did to the victim and the family," Stinger said. Hoppe said he has had a few other cases that qualified for the special sentencing. "I have had one other defendant sentenced under Jessica's Law to the state hospital under an insanity plea," he said. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 541-776-4497 or e-mail [email protected]. By Sanne Specht MailTribune.com By Sanne Specht Posted Sep. 21, 2010 at 12:01 AM Updated Sep 21, 2010 at 2:21 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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