A Cody man must continue serving an eight- to 10-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a teenager, as the Wyoming Supreme Court has affirmed his conviction.

Following a March 2023 trial in Park County District Court, jurors convicted Dustin M. Sanchez, 37, of a felony count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. The jury determined that Sanchez sexually touched the child’s chest in 2021, when she was 13 or 14.

District Court Judge Bill Simpson later handed down an eight- to 10-year prison sentence for the crime, but Sanchez appealed.

In a brief, his attorneys with the public defender’s office contended that Sanchez did not occupy a “position of authority” over the girl; that’s one of the required elements of the crime.

However, the Wyoming Supreme Court rejected that argument on Wednesday, finding that Sanchez held a position of authority as defined by state law.

“The State presented sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Sanchez of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree,” Justice John Fenn wrote in part for the unanimous court.

Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Eichele had also charged Sanchez with first-degree sexual abuse, alleging he had also sexually touched the girl’s genitals when she was 12 or 13. However, jurors acquitted Sanchez on that count and found him not guilty.

Wyoming Department of Corrections records show Sanchez is currently being held at the state’s medium security prison in Torrington. The department says he’ll become eligible for parole in October 2028.