Man sentenced to seven years in prison for sexual assault and death threats

Pablo Moises Alas was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Tuesday for repeatedly raping and threatening the life of a woman.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Timothy Gabriel sentenced Alas, from Fall River, on charges of aggravated sexual assault and uttering death threats. Alas, 30, pleaded guilty in September 2018 to assaulting the victim at her home.

The victim’s identify is protected by a publication ban.

In emotional testimony, the victim told the court that since the Dec. 7, 2016 assault she has had PTSD, anger outbursts and depression.

“I wake up screaming. I have flash backs. I’m paranoid and I’m afraid. I suffer from insomnia. I don’t sleep much at night. I don’t even sleep on my own bed,” she said.

“I’m pretty much as isolated as someone can get.”

The victim said she has also blamed herself for the sexual assault and continues to go to therapy.

“I get shamed by others because they don’t understand the hardships of what I had to go through. I’ve done a lot of victim blaming and I’ve also had family walk out on me because of this,” she said.

“I fought hard for my life that night.”

The victim sobbed after reading her statement to the court, then briefly lost consciousness. The court was called to recess while paramedics were called.

Alas’s statement to the court was interrupted by the victim, who yelled, “Go fuck yourself!”

Alas then apologized to his family.

“There’s no apology I can make at this point but what’s happening is going to happen and I deserve it,” he said.

During the sentencing, Justice Gabriel started to read accounts of the assault, but stopped when the victim continued to cry.

“There’s more; I’m not going to continue with it,” said Justice Gabriel.

Alas has been registered as a sex offender, has a lifetime ban from using firearms and must attend a specialized treatment program for sexual offenders while in federal prison.