Casper Man Pleads Guilty To Sexually Abusing Two Children

A Casper man pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse -- intrusion -- of two young girls during his arraignment in Natrona County District Court on Wednesday.

Joshua Bachochin, who was born in 2002, will spend between 18 and 23 years in prison according to the plea agreement reached by his attorney and the district prosecutor.

In exchange for Bachochin's plea, the state will dismiss two counts third degree sexual abuse of a a minor.

The plea agreement is not automatic.

District Court Judge Catherine Wilking told Bachochin that the plea agreement was worked out between Assistant District Attorney Kevin Taheri and Bachochin's Public Defender Marty Scott.

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If, at the sentencing hearing, Wilking believes the recommended punishment is too lenient or too light, she can dismiss the plea agreement, allow Bachochin to withdraw his guilty plea and the case would be set for trial, she said.

First-degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 50 years imprisonment. Third-degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

During the arraignment, Bachochin admitted that he sexually abused a girl born in 2015 from Aug. 9 to Aug. 12, 2022.

He also admitted that he sexually abused a girl born in 2016 from May 1, 2021, to Oct. 31, 2021.

Scott asked Wilking to reduce Bachochin's $75,000 cash or surety bond to $25,000.

But Taheri responded that the bond is appropriate, and the judge agreed.

Bachochin remains in custody.

A sentencing date will be set later.

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According to the affidavit supporting the charges, a representative of the Wyoming Medical Center on Aug. 11 called the Casper Public Safety Communications Center to report that a woman brought to the hospital a girl born in 2016. The girl told people at the hospital she had been sexually been abused.

On Aug. 12, the girl was taken to the Children's Advocacy Project and observed by a Natrona County Sheriff's investigator, where she described the alleged abuse to a forensic investigator.

That same day, another investigator observed a forensic interview with another girl who lived at the same residence. That girl described alleged abuse by Bachochin.

Later that day, a Sheriff's investigator interviewed Bachochin who initially denied any abuse, then said he had "'blacked out'" and couldn't remember any abuse, and then admitted he provided alcohol to one girl to "'relax her,'" according to the affidavit.

After receiving a search warrant, a Sheriff's investigator took biological evidence from Bachochin.

At 5:10 p.m., Aug. 12, he was then taken to the Natrona County Detention Center where he was booked on the recommended charges of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

During his initial appearance before Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Brian Christensen, Bachochin said he had lived in Casper for a year-and-a-half, was born in Ohio and later lived in Florida.