A week-long child-sex abuse trial in Johnston County ended Wednesday with a Raleigh man ordered to spend up to 73 years in prison, after jurors found him guilty of a string of offenses involving a teenage victim.
A Johnston County jury on Monday convicted 58-year-old Paul Richard Yenchik on five counts of statutory sex offense against a person who was 13, 14 or 15 years old, five counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of extortion, according to WRAL. The Johnston County District Attorney's Office announced the sentence on Wednesday, closing out the case in Superior Court.
Charges and early filings
According to earlier reporting, the case began when the victim, who is now an adult, came forward to report being assaulted years earlier and later alerted investigators to an alleged extortion attempt connected to that abuse. Court filings indicate Yenchik was formally charged in May 2024 after law enforcement in Florida took him into custody so he could be returned to North Carolina, JoCo Report noted.
What jurors heard
During the trial, prosecutors told jurors the abuse included incidents involving a boy with autism. They presented testimony about videotaped assaults and a later extortion attempt in which Yenchik allegedly emailed a nude photo of the boy to the child's mother and threatened to release it publicly unless she reactivated his cellphone service, WRAL reported. Authorities say he was arrested in Largo, Florida, after the mother contacted investigators, then brought back to Johnston County to face the charges.
Legal fallout
The combined convictions carry a maximum term of 73 years in prison, reflecting consecutive penalties for each count. Earlier coverage indicates Yenchik had been held on a secured $5 million bond after being returned to North Carolina, and it was not immediately clear whether his defense team plans to pursue an appeal, according to JoCo Report.
