Jury finds man guilty of child rape

POMEROY — A 38-year-old Clarkston man was found guilty of two counts of first-degree child rape and first-degree child molestation following a four-day jury trial in Garfield County Superior Court.

Joel J. Babino will be sentenced in March on the three Class A felonies after a presentence investigation is completed. He faces a lengthy prison sentence with a maximum penalty of life behind bars.

Late last week, Babino was found guilty of raping a girl, who was 7 years old at the time of the incident that occurred in August of 2022. The jury deliberated several hours before delivering the verdict.

According to court documents, Babino sexually assaulted the child at a hunting cabin in the Blue Mountains. Three incidents described during a police investigation resulted in the charges and subsequent convictions.

Garfield County Prosecutor Matt Newberg said Tuesday that he is grateful to the jury for coming to the same conclusion he did when reading the police reports. He praised Detective Jackie Nichols of the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office, and Catherine Becker, a pediatric sexual assault nurse from Pullman Regional Hospital, for their hard work on the case. Both women did an excellent job during the investigation and trial, Newberg said.

In addition, technicians from the crime lab in Cheney were instrumental in presenting clear-cut evidence to the jury, the prosecutor said.

“I’m so appreciative of those resources, and the help they provided at last week’s trial,” Newberg said.

Jury selection began Monday, and closing arguments were presented Thursday afternoon. A verdict was rendered around 5:30 p.m., Newberg said.

During the proceedings, members of the Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) club were prominent in the small Pomeroy courtroom. The bikers were from out of the area, and wanted to show their support for the victim.

Babino’s sentence will be based on what’s determined in the presentence investigation and his criminal history. He was represented by defense attorneys Julie Karl, of Waitsburg, and Julie Carlson Straub, of Walla Walla.

Superior Court Judge Brooke Burns was on the bench for the trial and will preside at Babino’s sentencing.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com.