Stagecoach man sentenced to 375 years

Despite his continued proclamation of his innocence, a Stagecoach man was sentenced to 375 years in prison Monday for the molestation of five girls.

"I maintain my innocence," said William Billy Jack Caron, 36, during the Monday sentencing in Yerington.

Judge Leon Aberasturi sentenced Caron to 35 years to life on each of nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 14, 20 years to life on a count of sexual assault of a child under 14, and 10 years to life each on four counts of lewdness with a minor - all to be served consecutively. A consecutive sentence means Caron must serve at least 35 years on one of the sexual assault charges before being eligible for parole. If paroled, he must serve at least 35 years on the next count. Caron will be 72 years old before he goes before the parole board for the first time. The sentence means he will die in prison.

"I believe it was an appropriate sentence and justice was served," said Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger who prosecuted Caron, 36.

In April, following a six-day trial and after less than three hours of deliberation, a Yerington jury found Caron guilty of the sexual assaults of the five girls between the ages of 9 and 13.

According to court documents, Caron molested the girls in his truck in the desert, during trips into Carson City to pick up his wife and at the Stagecoach home he shared with his wife and mother.

One girl testified that several of the incidents happened at Caron's Stagecoach home, while others happened in his truck during trips into Carson City to pick up his wife from work.

She said that on at least one occasion, Caron used oral sex during driving lessons as punishment for her driving off the dirt road.

In another instance, she said, he wanted her to touch his genitals for a pack of gum. When she refused, Caron became angry and slammed his truck door. So she relented.

"I didn't want him mad 'cause I get really scared when he gets mad,'" she said during a preliminary hearing. "He's a big man. He's scary when he gets mad."

The allegations came to light, she said, when she found her sister upset at school. When she asked her about it, the sister allegedly said, "Billy keeps raping me." The girl said she had no idea it was happening to her sister as well.

Another 12-year-old girl testified that when she was 9 years old, she and her sister would visit Caron's home.

She said that on several occasions Caron would sexually assault her at his home. She said he also assaulted her in the desert in his truck.

Her sister testified that Caron fondled her at least three times at his home.

Caron's roommate Andrew Carpenter, 21, pleaded guilty to having sex with the 11-year-old sister of one of Caron's alleged victims and was sentenced in July 2010 to 10 years to life in prison.