Indy man who choked daughter's attacker to death won't face charges

A convicted sex offender who broke into the house a family rented from his uncle and was restrained by a 17 year old’s father until he choked to death died from a combination of strangulation and heart trouble, according to the Marion County coroner's office yesterday.

David Meyers, 52, broke into the NW Indianapolis home of Robert McNally, 64 around 3:20 Am Sunday, wearing only latex gloves and a a mask. Meyers also carried rope, condoms, and a knife when he broke into McNally’s 17 year old daughter’s bedroom. The girl screamed, and McNally wrapped his arm around Meyer’s neck until he died.

McNally is unlikely to face charges because he apparently used reasonable force to protect his daughter and himself, said Matthew Symons, spokesman for the Marion County prosecutor.
"We will do a standard review that we do in all such situations," Symons said.

An autopsy determined Meyers' cause of death to be asphyxia by strangulation with contributing cardiovascular disease, said Marchele Hall, the coroner's office manager.

McNally, who rented from Meyer’s uncle, called the incident “a lose-lose situation” and felt sorry for the offender’s family. He even asked to attend Meyer’s funeral. Meyer was convicted of criminal confinement and criminal deviate conduct in 1998. He lived with his mother a few hundred feet away from the McNally’s.

Alaska repeat rapist sentenced to a dozen years in prison

An Alaska repeat offender with more than 20 misdemeanor convictions, 7 assault convictions, and a previous sex offense was sentenced to a dozen years in prison Wednesday, August 27 for breaking into a woman’s home. His actual sentence was 20 years, but 8 of those years were suspended.

Judge Philip Pallenberg said to Newton Lindoff, “If there's any place where a person ought to feel safe it's their own bed in the middle of the night…With a record like this, an assaultive, a sexually assaultive conduct, at least under this sentence we know that won't happen for the next 12 years."

Lindoff's crime was an "eerie parallel" to one he committed nine years ago when he got drunk and broke into another woman's home in the middle of the night. While she was sleeping, Lindoff grabbed her crotch, Pallenberg said. He added that Lindoff's sentence of six months in prison for that crime had been "pretty light" and the Alaska Legislature had since stiffened penalties for sex crimes.

Judge Pallenburg called the 46 year old Lindoff an alcoholic who hurts people when he drinks, and ordered him to undergo sex offender treatment if Alaska reinstituted such programs.

DOC spokesman Richard Schmitz said the department abandoned sex offender treatment programs for prisoners under former Gov. Frank Murkowski's administration because it viewed those programs as ineffective.

Instead, he said the department has focused on a "containment model," which emphasizes treatment and stringent supervision, including lie-detector tests, after sex offenders are released from prison.

Schmitz said it is the department's goal to reintroduce sex offender treatment programs in prisons that would complement the current "containment" strategy.

Lindoff filed a motion requesting a reconsideration of his guilty verdict due to improper represention by counsel, and that he receive an “impartial jury trial.” Pallenberg denied that motion, and when Lindoff refused to give his fingerprints to the court, Pallenburg threatened to add more time for contempt of court as well as use force to get Lindoff’s prints, saying he could “choose the easy way or the hard way.”

Attempted North Carolina rapist already serving life with parole gets LWOP for another rape attempt

A North Carolina attempted rapist serving life with the chance of parole was sentenced to life without parole for the attempted rape of a female prison sergeant, but the parole option was dropped after he attacked a woman prison employee in February 2007.

Robert Donnell Johnson Jr., 41, went to the sergeant’s office to ask for a coat hanger, but pushed her into a bathroom and locked the door. The woman hit her head of the toilet, and hurt her foot and chest. Harnett County assistant district attorney Teresa Postell tried the case. He had anextensive criminal history in Lee County, NC, including 2nd degree rape and burglary.

Husband shoots out estranged wife's car's windshield after aborted sexual encounter

Donald H. Hiller, 47, was arraigned for the attempted rape and kidnapping of his 40 year old wife Mary on Tuesday, August 26. Mary Hiller, estranged and pregnant, of Torrington, CT, told authorities she was lured to her husband’s house the previous day when he faked a suicide attempt in Winsted, CT.

Hiller told police her husband, who appeared to be intoxicated, demanded sex. She used the bathroom and emerged to find him holding a gun he identified as a .44 magnum."I was never more scared in my life," she told police. "Don turned toward my vehicle and the gun went off. The bullet struck my windshield. I screamed."Police found a bullet hole in the windshield of Mary Hiller's 2002 Ford Escape, with corresponding holes in the seats and tailgate.

After the abuser asked her to strip, she did, then backed out of the sexual encounter. "I told him 'no,' and started to get dressed,” then scratched him in the face and punched him in the groin. She called 911 from the bedroom. When the call was disconnected, she fled to the car, where she waited for police, who arrested her naked husband – and attacker.

The couple is going through divorce mediation, according to statements made by Mary Hiller. She told police she is seven weeks pregnant and served her husband with divorce papers in July after a tumultuous six-year relationship.Civil court records posted online do not include a divorce case.

Donald Hiller's pickup truck contained a .40 caliber handgun, but a search of his house included no other weapons finds. He is being held on $250,000 bond on attempted sexual assault of a spouse, 1st degree criminal mischief, and 1st degree reckless endangerment, among other charges.

Spokane, WA pastor convicted of rape attempt, faced 20 to life, got 18 years

(Original Post 6-13-08)
By Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A former pastor in Spokane has been convicted of attempted rape.The Rev. Herman Lewis was convicted Wednesday for an April 30, 2007, incident when he offered a woman $50 to have sex with him and then attempted to drag her out of a Shari's restaurant when she refused.

Lewis was pastor of Morning Star Baptist Church, but lost his job after his arrest.An addition to attempted rape, the jury convicted the 50-year-old Lewis on first- and second-degree assault charges. He was acquitted of indecent liberties and of a second count of first-degree assault.Lewis faces 20 years to life when he is sentenced next month.

(Update 7-31-08) Lewis was sentenced to 18 years in prison by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen. His sentenced matched prosecutors' request, while the defense asked for 3 years. Lewis explained his actions by being on anti-psychotic drugs. Besides the prison time, Lewis will have to pay $7385 in restitution for damage to police squad cars during the chase, and will have to register as an sex offender.

NY court sentences David Small to dozen years for attempted rape, burglary

Orange County Court Judge Nicholas DeRosa sentenced 29 year old David Small to a dozen years in prison to be followed by 15 years parole for the attempted 1st degree rape and the 2nd degree burglary of a Village of Chester, NY woman Wednesday after jury conviction April 9. DeRosa, who talks to juros after each trial, said that "They did believe the complaining witness. They did not believe your testimony."

The victim told Small she's been so badly traumatized that she's going to move out of her home in the Whispering Hills condo complex in the Village of Chester, where she was attacked in 2005.
She also told Small that she feels compelled to change her name.

Small's lawyer, Alan Joseph, asked DeRosa to limit the sentence to the minimum of 3 1/2 years. Joseph filed a notice of appeal on Wednesday, saying there were numerous issues to pursue with a higher court, including the certainty of the victim's identification of Small.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Milza asked for the maximum sentence of 15 years.

Serial rapist convicted of rape, murder - sentenced to life

(Original Post 3-21-08)

A serial rapist was convicted of 10 charges, including the rape and murder of a woman back in 2003. Chris Kornberger of Evesham, NJ was convicted of raping and murdering Krista Defrancesco, 24. Another woman, Elizabeth Loetzner-Jung, formerly of Evesham, was ran off the road so Kornburger could assault, rape, and kidnap her back in August 2003.

James Ronca, an assistant Burlington County prosecutor, told jurors Kornberger voluntarily confessed to DiFrancesco's killing and his DNA was found in semen taken from her body despite contamination of that sample at a testing laboratory.

"He was the man who killed Krista DiFrancesco," Ronca said in his closing argument, pointing to Kornberger, who sat in the courtroom with his two lawyers. "The crimes were the product of a sexual compulsion that he said he hoped would go away."

Defense lawyer Timothy Reilly attacked mistakes he said were made by the police during the interrogation.

Reilly admitted Kornberger is a "troubled person" with emotional problems, suggesting he may be one of those "disturbed people" who follow major criminal cases in the news and, for notoriety reasons, confess to them.

Reilly said testimony by an independent prosecution expert that the DNA test was valid was based on results from an "incompetent" lab whose procedural standards were criticized by the expert.

Reilly also questioned the confession's validity because the first half of the police interrogation was not taped. He also said there were too many details Kornberger did not remember while speaking to police and that he was led on by police.

Ronca said only the killer would know certain details of the crimes that Kornberger gave -- such as the location of DiFrancesco's stab wounds. Ronca tried to debunk conspiracy theories, calling the confession convincing, candid and truthful.

"He (Kornberger) even professed remorse many times," Ronca said. "He cried. . . . Nobody maneuvered him. . . . No one was forcing him to admit to crimes he didn't do. He said he was under the influence of drugs when he committed the crimes. No wonder he doesn't remember everything."

Kornburger pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a Evesham woman, Nancy "Kim" Clark, at the start of his trial, and was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the attempted rape of a Waterford, NJ woman. He faces life in prison.

(Update 7-16-08) On July 2, Burlington County Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Smith Jr. sentenced Chris Kornberger to life without parole for 126 years for the crimes mentioned above.

Nancy “Kim” Clark, who survived the stabbing attack, said that she feared for her kids’ safety, just in case they encountered an “evil, deviant person like Christopher Kornberger.” Clark was robbed of her “sense of trust in others.”

The 3rd victim in the July 2 sentencing, Elizabeth Loetzner-Jung, did not attend the sentencing.

On Monday, July 14, Kornberger pleaded guilty to his last crime in front of Camden County Superior Court Judge Samuel Natal, the attempted rape of a Waterford, NJ woman he tried to pull from her home. Prosecutors recommended a 15 year sentence for the attempted rape and kidnapping, which will run concurrent with his other terms. The 18 year sentence for the attempted murder of was reduced to 9 years due to New Jersey sentencing guidelines.

Serial rapist, kidnapper sentenced to 30 years with 25 to serve

Washington County, OR Judge Gayle A. Nachtigal sentenced "serial, sadistic" sex offender James Worley, 47, to 30 years in prison July 10. Under Oregon's dangerous offender law, Worley must serve almost 25 years of that sentence before being considered for parole. In March, a jury found him guilty of 1st degree kidnapping and attempted 1st degree rape and sexual assault, among other charges. Jurors acquitted Worley of attempted 1st degree sodomy and deadlocked on an attempted murder charge.

Worley has a lengthy criminal record for attacking women, having served a total of 25 years in prison for various incidents. In 1983, he raped and kidnapped an Oklahoma woman, and in 1998, he was convicted of harassing a Bend, OR woman. Worley was on post-prison supervision for robbing and kidnapping a Clackamas County woman at the time of the latest crime.

During the trial, [Heather]Struznik riveted the courtroom with harrowing testimony about the night of Oct. 20, 2007. Approaching Struznik outside a Gaston bar, Worley said he was about out of gas and didn't know the area. She said she'd lead him into Forest Grove, but he pulled over on Oregon 47, near the turnoff to Hagg Lake.

Thinking he had run out of gas, Struznik stopped. Worley jumped into her Jeep and punched her in the head three times. During a savage struggle, a profanity-spewing Worley slammed her head into the dash, pulled her face, yanked at her belt and dragged her outside. She scratched, kicked and bit her attacker, gripping the door frame until her hands bled.

On Friday, Struznik, 37, told a smiling Worley that she wasn't his victim and she no longer was afraid of the dark or going out alone. She said she still has a bulging disc in her neck, healing bones in her face and fingers so sore she can't even open a jar.

"Every time it happens, I think 'You got beat by a girl. You picked the wrong girl.' "

Frank P. Colistro, a forensic psychologist for Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, said that community safety was the only consideration and that "this type of individual we can't fix." Colistro, a Portland man, also said that Worley, a misogynist who thinks women look down on him, attacks them from nowhere to inflict terror, humiliation, and sadistic power over them.

Serial rapist who used local paper to find victims sentenced to 15 years

District Court Judge Melissa Goodwin sentenced Larry Todd Johnson, 45, to 15 years in prison for the attempted rape of an escort whose ad was placed in the Austin Chronicle last August. The sentencing comes at the end of a 2 day jury trial where prosecutors argued the North Austin man used the paper to prey on vulnerable women, while his defense argued that the man simply used it to assuage his loneliness.

"Without regard to occupation or circumstances, 'no' means 'no,' " Goodwin said.

In 1999, a call girl who listed her services in Austin's alternative weekly paper went to Johnson's house expecting to rub his back and dance naked for him, she testified during the sentencing portion of Johnson's latest trial. Once inside, the woman testified, Johnson put a rope around her neck and forced her to perform oral sex and beat her on the back with a belt.

"All I remember is, I thought I was going to die," said the woman, who is not being identified by the American-Statesman because she is the victim of sexual assault.

She said she escaped after her boyfriend knocked on the door. Johnson was convicted of several crimes in that case and went to prison.

In the latest case, a woman, who Johnson found in the Chronicle, went to his home in August to dance for him, but found herself with a bottomless Johnson. After asking to use Johnson's phone, the latest victim found herself struggling with him as he pulled her clothes off, but grabbed a knife from his pocket and only escaped with mionr injuries. Casner believes that other women were victimized, but did not report their victimization due to their occupation.

"They are part of the community," she said of the women. "They deserve protection."

Robert Aaron Mueller, Johnson's lawyer, stated that he used the Chronicle to cure his lonliness.

Attempted rapist sentenced to 7 1/2 years, lifetime supervision

Reyes Lozano-Lozano, 26, of Red Bank, NJ, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for attempted aggravated sexual assault and burglary on May 16. No explanation is given between the delay between sentencing and reporting. Lozano will serve at least 85% of his sentence, and will be under both parole supervision and SO registration for life, under Megan's Law. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office handled the case.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that on May 26, 2006, Lozano entered the victim's residence at approximately 4:30 a.m. He then entered her bedroom, lowered his pants and then her pants. The victim woke up and attempted to push Lozano off her. Lozano grabbed her by the wrists and held her down. The victim cried out for help, and her sister, who slept in the same room in another bed, woke up and turned on the lights, surprising Lozano. Both the victim and victim's sister recognized Lozano because he was the husband of a friend of the victim. Lozano fled the scene.

The Red Bank Police Department conducted an investigation, which resulted in Lozano's arrest at his place of work later that morning. During the trial, Lozano testified on his own behalf that he only went to the victim's apartment to ask if she wanted to have a cup of coffee with him.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin stated, "Lozano forced his way into the victim's apartment and then assaulted her. Fortunately for the victim, her sister's quick action prevented completion of Lozano's criminal intent. Lozano's conduct warrants this prison sentence."

Superior Court Judge Edward M. Neafsey presided over the week long jury trial that occured back in January and sentenced Lozano.

Pastor sentenced to 3 years in prison for sexually abusing women

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORTLAND -- A pastor who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting five women in his Portland church was sentenced to three years in prison.

Sergio Alvarizares, 39, the former co-pastor of Casa del Padre, a nondenominational Spanish-speaking church, had originally been charged with raping one woman, attempting to rape two others and sexually abusing two others. Last month, he pleaded guilty to attempted rape and third-degree sexual abuse. Alvarizares and his wife, who have three sons, had been co-pastors of the church for several years.

The crimes became public last fall when a woman interrupted a Sunday service to accuse Alvarizares of making unwanted sexual advances. Other women then stood up to confront Alvarizares. As the crowd grew unruly, five people reportedly tried to get onto the pulpit. Several people dialed 9-1-1 and police arrived to restore order.

The pastor was arrested in mid-October at his Ridgefield, Wash., home.

During Wednesday's hearing in a Multnomah County court, Deputy District Attorney Christine Mascal thanked the women for coming forward with their stories despite repercussions.

"They were driven away from the congregation ... by supporters of the defendant," Mascal said. "And in spite of that, they are here today."

The terms of the plea agreement required Alvarizares to stand up in court Wednesday and apologize. "Do I have to?" he asked Judge Eric Bergstrom. "Yes," the judge replied.

In a voice lacking emotion, Alvarizares read a few sentences from an apology letter, saying in part that he was "sincerely sorry for all the sexual contact."

One of the victims spoke, telling Alvarizares that he abused her trust. She also spoke of the humiliation of coming forward.

"I was publicly pointed at, labeled and my personal things were aired as if they were public," she said.

Hillside strangling victim's alleged attackers arrested

(Original Post 5-8-08)
Martin D. Lyons, 20, and Nico Lewis, 18, of Bellwood, a Chicago suburb have been charged with 1st degree murder after allegedly strangling a woman from the neighboring suburb of Bellwood. Bond was denied after details of her rape and strangulation were read at the hearing, presided over by Judge Donald Panarese.

The victim was identified Thursday as Tanika Hinton, 21, of the 400 block of Englewood Avenue in Hillside. Hinton was found at about 11:30 a.m. Monday in a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street, in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. An autopsy determined she had been strangled, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Hinton, who had known the men for 2 months, was beated up after they complained she "talked too much," and was pushed into the back of her own car, according to Assistant State's Attorney LuAnn Snow.

Lewis pulled over, forced Hinton into the back seat of her car and sexually assaulted her, Snow said. Lyons then removed his belt, and the two men "wrapped it around the victim's neck, and pulled," Snow said.The two drove to a vacant lot in the 4200 block of West Arthington Street in Chicago and threw Hinton's body into bushes, Snow said. The woman's body was found by authorities Monday night after Hinton was reported missing by her mother.

One of Hinton's acquaintences saw Lyons driving aroung in her car, and wearing the same belt used to strangle Hinton. Hinton's cell phone was programmed with the message, "She Gone Forever."

(Update 6-5-08) Both suspects have been charged with over 2 dozen felony counts. Their arraignment will be on June 18.

[They] were each indicted on 11 counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault, and one count each of aggravated kidnapping, vehicular hijacking, robbery, burglary and concealment of a homicidal death, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. Lewis also faces one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.

Sioux Falls man attacks ex-girlfriend

A Sioux Falls, SD man is charged with simple assault, 2nd degree rape, and interference with emergency communications after allegedly trying to rape his ex-girlfriend. David Allen Daugherty, 31 allegedly attacked his 27 year old ex-girlfriend Sunday around 10AM.

Police the victim and the suspect live in different units in the same building. They say 31 year-old David Allen Daugherty was watching for the victim to come outside with her daughter to walk their dog. Neighbor Crystal LaPointe tells us she saw what happened next.

"And she was handing something in and I seen someone grab her arm and then a little bit later, probably not even a minute later she comes running out and runs back into the other apartment, and the guy's right behind her and shuts the door."

At the time, Crystal didn't think much of the whole incident. But a few moments later police and medical aid workers started showing up. Police say Daugherty forced his way into the victim's apartment. When he did that, police tell us she told the three kids in the apartment to go to one bedroom while she and the suspect went to another bedroom.

The victim was able to escape and neighbors called police. Daugherty walked away, and was arrested a short time later for rape.

Vietnam vet accused of kidnapping hookers

Joseph H. Kruppenbacher of Rotterdam, NY is facing attempted rape, imprisonment, and perhaps attempted murder charges for trying to attack women he picked up on the streets during winter of this year. Terence L. Kindlon, his attorney, argued that the $100,000 bail that his client was held under was excessive, while Assistant Schenectady County District Attorney Jessica Lorusso argued that it was too lenient.

Rotterdam police say Kruppenbacher picked up women in January, February and again in April and held them against their will. One woman, police said, was forced to jump from a car to escape.

Kruppenbacher is being held on three counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment and one count of first-degree attempted rape. Kindlon unsuccessfully sought more information about the grand jury's consideration of an attempted murder charge. Outside court, Kindlon said he was caught off-guard by the prospect of that count.

Kindlon told Schenectady County Judge Karen Drago that Kruppenbacher is a Vietnam veteran, chess champion and family man who wanted to go home to Besch Avenue in Albany so he could attend his son's graduation.

Woman convicted in federal court of trying to kill husband

Gwen Bergman, a Denver woman, was convicted Friday of using two poteitial hitmen and the proceeds of her mother's retirement fund to try and kill her ex-husband back in 2004.

Bergman was found guilty Friday after a four-day bench trial presided by U.S. District Judge Walker Miller. Bergman was offering $30,000 for the hit on her former husband. Police say the 52-year-old woman hired a hit man once before but the man made off with the $50,000 she gave him.

Bergman was charged with using interstate transfers, the mail, and wires to commit murder and murder for hire. She faced life in prison without parole if the attempt was sucessful, but only 20 years in prison during sentencing due to the attack not being carried out Therer is no federal parole, and each prisoner has to serve at least 85% of their sentence.

Fake San Antonio cop found guilty of attempted rape of 18 year old

Arthur Berkely, an attempted rapist who used the ruse of being a police officer to attack his 18 year old victim in San Antonio, TX, was found guilty of sexual assault after four hours of jury deliberation by a Bexar County jury Thursday.

Berkley didn't testify in his defense, but told police in a statement that the teenage girl agreed to consensual sex.

The victim took the stand at her sexual assault trail and described what happened after she met Arthur Berkely.

She was only 18 years old when the attack occurred in November 2006. She and her boyfriend got into an argument at a party and he left her there. Alone, she was approached by Berkley, who she said claimed to be an off-duty police officer.

Berkley told the victim she was under arrest for disturbing the peace, and that he had already arrested her boyfriend. He told her he needed to take her to his house so he could pick up some paperwork.

Though upset and frightened, she told the jury at Cadena-Reeves Justice Center she did not question whether or not Berkley was in fact an officer until he made a disturbing comment about her appearance.

"He said, 'I'm a good cop and I take my job very seriously, but I think you’re kind of cute. And that’s when everything clicked…that’s when I knew he wasn’t a cop and I just knew what he wanted."

She tried to get up from off of his bed, but "he grabbed the back of my hair and he was on the side of me and he grabbed my throat and threw me back on the bed."

Berkley held her down on his bed until she told him that she was a virgin, then he gave up trying to rape her. Rape and sexual assault are separate crimes in Texas.

Doctor pleads from attempted rape to misdemeanor assault

Dr. Bret Sokoloff of Germantown was convicted of three counts of misdemeanor assault after charges of attempted rape, sexual battery and indecent exposure were dismissed. He assaulted three nurses, and was sentenced to three years of probation.

The 37-year-old was indicted last year on five counts of sexual battery and two counts of attempted rape that allegedly occurred between 2005 and February of this year.He was also charged last year with indecent exposure after a professional masseuse at Massage Envy in Collierville said Sokoloff removed his sheet and exposed himself during his massage therapy.

Sokoloff has not practiced since his arrest, even though he has not been formally suspended.
The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners will take action, if any, on his license.

Madison man sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for attempted sex attack

Paul Aud, 34, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years out of a possible 25 years in prison for the attempt to sexually assault a University of Wisconsin - Madison student. He was convicted in a bench trial of attempted 2nd degree sexual assault and substantial battery. Aug. 23, 2006 was when Aud, then 32, followed his victim into an on-campus apartment building and pulled her down stairs. He attempted to, but she sucsessfully fought off the rape attempt.

"I can't help but wonder the typical questions that a victim asks: 'Why me? What did I do so wrong to this person that made him attack me?'" the victim said. "He had the intentions of any other predator who succeeds in his crime and I do not believe he is ashamed of what he realizes he has done or the repercussions of his crime."

Aud apologized at the sentencing. He claimed that attack was triggered by a drunken rage.
"I am sorry beyond words for what I've done and the pain that I've caused you. If I could do
anything, I would do anything to take back that night," Aud said.

Besides the 7 1/2 year prison sentence, Aud has to spend 9 1/2 years on extended supervision and sign the SO registry.

Manager sentenced after pleading guilty to attempted rape of employee

Ronaldo Duarte, 36, was sentenced to consecutive terms of 2 1/2 to 5 years in prison and 5 years probation for the attempted rape of his employee at a suburban Philadelphia restaurant. The victim was a 21 year old college student.

Duarte made sexual advances to his employee outside the restaurant, which she refused. The victim went outside for a break, and Duarte followed her. He tried to rip her clothes off to rape her, and she fought back. She went to the police that night and was examined at a hospital.

When confronted by police, court records say, Duarte confessed. Standing next to his attorney, Mel Kardos, Duarte apologized to the victim in court Friday.

“I feel so bad. I will regret it for the rest of my life,” he said.

The victim told the judge that she still suffers from nightmares and anxiety, and that her grades have dropped since the attack.

“I will never forget what happened to me. It's unfortunate that he will never understand that,” she said. “I just hope that since I found the strength to stand up to Ronaldo, that it will protect others.”

Duarte was ordered to sign Pennsylvania's Sex Offender Registry for the next decade, get sex offender treatment, and have no contact with the victim. The presiding judge praised the victim for fighting back against her attacker.

“I have been impressed by your strength throughout this case,” Judge Albert Cepparulo told the woman. “You stood up to him then, and you stood up now.”

Duarte pled no contest, which is the same as a guilty plea for all purposes except civil lawsuits.

Drunk pilot peads down to assault from attempted rape - gets unsupervised probation

James Ryan Clifton, 37 and from Alabama, charged originally with attempted rape, plead down to felony 3rd degree assault, and was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation. after a drunken New Year's Eve party.

Clifton originally was charged with attacking a woman, who was a guest at the hotel, in the hallway during the early morning hours of Jan. 1, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed Feb. 16, 2007, by Pitkin County Deputy Brad Gibson.The alleged victim told Gibson that Clifton had pulled her down a hallway, forcefully kissed her, ripped open her pants and attempted to rape her as she screamed for help.

According to court documents, the entire attack lasted between 10 and 15 minutes.The attack was foiled, the affidavit states, when a co-worker of the victim heard the calls for help and chased Clifton outside, where the two got into a fist fight. When deputies arrived, Clifton was being taken to Aspen Valley Hospital in an ambulance, court papers allege. Defense attorney Greg Greer said Monday that Clifton was hospitalized because of injuries sustained in the fight. “This was a New Year’s celebration gone amok because of too much drinking,” Deputy District Attorney Gail Nichols said.

Unsupervised probation means just that - no supervision by a probation officer, and sex charges, which according to best sex offender management practices, should never be plead down to non sex charges. The probation stipulations state Clifton must refrain from drugs or alcohol, get months drug and alcohol tests, and write a letter of apology to his victim, who approved the plea agreement. With unsupervised probation, that's kind of hard to do. At least he has a felony on his record.