A jury convicted Hermiston man Diego Andrade, 50, on 10 counts of sex crimes and two counts of domestic violence assault on Wednesday, July 27, after hearing two days of testimony from his wife and daughters.

The case involved ongoing abuse to which Andrade subjected his wife of 24 years. The woman testified that  the abuse worsened after the couple moved to Hermiston with their children eight years ago.

Andrade’s wife said the abuse has been occurring for many years, but she was reluctant to come forward because she is an illegal resident of the United States, and she wanted to protect her children.

Over the course of last eight years, Andrade repeatedly raped his wife when she refused sex, and threatened her with her illegal immigration status. During the trial, two of Andrade’s five children testified against him in court.

Andrade was found guilty on 12 counts. The charges included five counts of rape I, two counts of sodomy I and two counts of sex abuse I, all felony charges.

Andrade is scheduled for sentencing Aug.  10.