A New Holland man was sentenced to 63 ½ to 155 years in prison after being convicted of 30 sexual abuse charges.

Gustavo A. Rendon, 52 of the 100 block of E. Main St., was sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Merrill M. Spahn on April 11 for raping and sexually abusing five children in multiple locations in Lancaster and Berks between 2003 and 2010.

A Sexually Violent Predator hearing was held before sentencing; a licensed psychologist was direct and cross examined regarding his report detailing whether Rendon fit the description of a sexually violent predator. The report found Rendon to fit the description, which Judge Spahn accepted.

Rendon is required to register as a lifetime sex offender.

The victims testified and detailed the abuse during the three-day trial in Lancaster County Court in November before the jury returned a guilty verdict on 30 charges, including 21 felonies.

“They showed incredible bravery to stand up to this man, probably for the first time, who has abused them for years,” Assistant District Attorney Fritz Haverstick, who prosecuted the case, said before the sentence.

Rendon abused the victims, who were all 14 or younger, and took them to other locations where they were sometimes abused by other perpetrators.

Haverstick advocated for a sentence of 104 ½ to 246 years in prison arguing that “a lesser sentence would depreciate the living hell that these children suffered at the defendant’s hand.”

Rendon spoke at length when given the opportunity; he asked to face the victims, who were present in the courtroom, to which Spahn told him to just speak to him.

After imposing what effectively amounted to a life sentence, Spahn stated Rendon had failed his fundamental responsibility to at the very least do no harm.

“I haven’t seen another failure in that aspect in my time as a judge,” Spahn said.

Rendon must also pay $17,978 in restitution.

Pennsylvania State Police were made aware of the abuse after one of the victims initially reported it to a state senator’s staff.

PSP Trooper Kory Wardrop filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.