GALLUP, N.M. – New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said a judge sentenced a 57-year-old Gallup man to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing a 6-year-old family member.

A judge sentenced David Chapman after a June conviction on first-degree criminal sexual penetration of a minor under 13.

Gallup police arrested Chapman in September 2024 after a family member told officers the girl said Chapman was “touching her private parts.”

“This sentence ensures that a dangerous predator will spend nearly two decades behind bars, where he can no longer harm children,” said Torrez.“The courage of this young survivor in coming forward made justice possible, and I am grateful to the Gallup Police Department, our prosecutors, and everyone who worked tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable. My office will continue to pursue the strongest penalties available against those who prey on children and will never stop fighting to protect New Mexico’s most vulnerable.”

Chapman received the maximum sentence allowed by law and must also register as a sex offender.

The New Mexico Department of Justice took over the case from the McKinley County District Attorney’s Office in October 2025 as part of several cases the agency assumed late last year.