Bosque Farms officer pleads guilty to lesser charge in rape case

A former Bosque Farms police lieutenant accused of raping a 21-year-old woman he met during a traffic stop has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, ending a case that exposed how he used his badge to arrange a second meeting with her. The plea came a year after the encounter, after the prosecution agreed to drop a rape charge in exchange for a guilty plea to a misdemeanor.

Bosque Farms Police Lieutenant Ricky Dominguez pulled over a 21-year-old woman for speeding, then began asking her personal questions and offered to give her a break on the ticket, according to police body camera footage. “You’re all dressed up, are you going to see a date or something?” Dominguez said on the recording.

In court, the prosecution read a letter from the victim describing what happened when she met Dominguez again the following month. She recounted that, though it started as consensual, it turned into rape, and that Dominguez recorded it without her consent.

“I believe that authority should be used to protect people, not to take advantage of their trust or vulnerability,” the victim wrote in the letter.

Dominguez initially faced a rape charge for the October incident. He took a deal and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated battery. “The number one thing that was important to this victim is that this defendant does not wear a uniform again,” said prosecutor Natalie Johnson.

Dominguez’s attorney, William Snowden, said his client would not. “They’re taking his certification away. The Air Force is in the process of relieving him of his duties there. He will receive either a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge. Judge, both ending his career,” Snowden said.

Dominguez addressed the court at sentencing and apologized to the victim. “I made a mistake, yes. I’m learning from mistakes. Life is a process of making mistakes and learning from them. And I’ve taken the responsibility and accountability to stand up to mistakes and own up to them, which is why I agreed to this plea agreement,” he said.

“This mistake was a huge mistake. He utilized his position to gain access to an individual,” said Judge Cindy Mercer of the Valencia County District Court.

Dominguez was sentenced to 364 days in prison. Judge Mercer suspended the sentence, meaning he will not be held in custody, and he will serve the time on supervised probation.