Pender County man pleads guilty to statutory sex offense

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A Pender County man has been sentenced to prison for statutory sex offense.

Paul Rettinger, 38, pled guilty June 14th to Attempted Statutory Rape.

Rettinger was sentenced by Judge Kent Harrell to at least nine years (108-190 months) in prison and will register as a sex offender for
30 years following his release from prison.

In October 2021, the victim disclosed to her boss at work that she had been sexually assaulted. The victim’s boss reported the crimes to law enforcement, and the minor was interviewed at the Carousel Center, a local non-profit that provides medical and therapeutic services for child victims.

Through the investigative efforts of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement was able to determine that the defendant and the victim met at the Skate Barn in Pender County. The two began communicating and eventually the victim snuck out of her house; the defendant was waiting outside to pick her up and bring her back to his house.

While at the defendant’s house, the defendant violently assaulted the victim. The victim reported that she felt trapped because he was her ride home. When the victim tried to back away from the defendant the victim reported he said, “No one is coming to save you now.”

The attack lasted for approximately 3 hours before the defendant dropped the victim back off at her house.

Detectives were able to speak with the defendant, who admitted to committing several sex acts with the victim, claiming he thought she was 18.