By Breaking Belize News Staff: Late Thursday evening in the High Court, Justice Candace Nanton sentenced 25-year-old Kenroy Lanza to seven years in prison following his conviction on three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse. Lanza, a father of two, was found guilty of having sex with an 11-year-old boy on three separate occasions between February 14 and April 6, 2020. While he was originally charged with the rape of a child, Justice Nanton found him not guilty of that specific charge on December 18, 2025, instead convicting him of the lesser alternative charges.
During the sentencing proceedings on Thursday, the court heard mitigation pleas on Lanza’s behalf, including testimony from his mother and a former employer who spoke well of his character. Lanza, represented by attorney Abibi Moguel of Lynden & Associates, has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and into the sentencing phase, claiming that the victim fabricated the allegations against him. Prosecutor Joseph Perez represented the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions during the trial, which lasted less than a week and included in camera testimony from the young victim.
In determining the final sentence, Justice Nanton established an initial starting point of eight years. She balanced several aggravating factors, including the extreme youth of the victim, the prevalence of such crimes in the community, and the fact that the offenses occurred in the presence of another minor. While she noted that no physical acts of violence were committed during the offenses, she pointed out that threats had been made against the victim. Justice Nanton also highlighted Lanza’s total lack of remorse as a factor in her deliberations.
The sentencing calculation involved a complex series of adjustments based on these factors. While the judge initially considered a deduction that would have brought the term down to five years, she ultimately determined that such a short sentence did not adequately reflect the gravity of the crime. Consequently, she increased the term by two years to reach a total of seven years. After accounting for one year of pre-trial custody already served, Lanza is left with six years remaining on his sentence, effective from his conviction date in December.
The post Kenroy Lanza, father of 2, sentenced to 7 years for having sex multiple time with 11-year-old boy; dodges rape charge but maintains boy made it up appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Late Thursday evening in the High Court, Justice Candace Nanton sentenced 25-year-old Kenroy Lanza to seven years in prison following his conviction on three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse. Lanza, a father of two, was found guilty of having sex with an 11-year-old boy on three separate occasions between February
The post Kenroy Lanza, father of 2, sentenced to 7 years for having sex multiple time with 11-year-old boy; dodges rape charge but maintains boy made it up appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
