State of Tennessee v. John J. Ortega, Jr.

Defendant, John J. Ortega, Jr., was indicted by the Montgomery County Grand Jury for two counts of rape of a child.  After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of aggravated sexual battery which was charged as a lesser included offense in Count One.  He was found not guilty in Count 2.  As a result, he was sentenced to nine years of incarceration.  Defendant appeals, arguing that aggravated sexual battery is not a lesser included offense of rape of a child.  Defendant did not object to the jury instructions at trial.  However, we have determined that aggravated sexual battery is no longer a lesser included offense of rape of a child under Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-18-110 as amended.  Therefore, the trial court’s instructions were in error.  However, we determine that the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction of the lesser included offense of child abuse.  Consequently, we modify Defendant’s conviction for aggravated sexual battery to child abuse and remand the matter to the trial court for entry of a corrected judgment and a new sentencing hearing.