YOUNGSTOWN Man sentenced to prison for rape of young boy

The judge imposed a heavier sentence than the one prosecutors recommended.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A North Jackson man will live the rest of his life in his "own personal prison" of guilt for raping a young boy, his lawyer said.
But a judge said that for the next 10 years, Lester Lee Smith Jr. will be in a public prison.
"It will be an exquisite form of hell," Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court said.
Smith, 32, of Mahoning Avenue, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of rape. In a plea agreement with the prosecutor's office, two additional counts of rape were dismissed.
Assistant Prosecutor Deena Calabrese recommended a seven-year sentence as part of the plea agreement, but Judge Krichbaum opted to go heavier. He gave Smith 10 years on each count, but they will run at the same time.
"You are either very sick or very evil. It's one or the other," the judge said to Smith. "I have a hard time believing that anyone could be so evil."
Fair sentence: Calabrese said she's very happy with the sentence and believes it is a fair result to the case.
Authorities said Smith raped a 12-year-old boy several times in late 1999 and early 2000. Calabrese said the victim, who is related to Smith's former girlfriend, eventually confided in a neighbor, who alerted the boy's mother about the rapes.
Defense attorney Damian Billak said he believes Smith needs counseling to control his sexual tendencies.
"I don't think he intended to cause any harm to anybody, but in some ways he couldn't help what was going on inside him," Billak said. He said Smith will be guilt-ridden for the rest of his life.
Smith acknowledged that he deserves to be in prison, and asked the victim's family for forgiveness.
Smith also agreed to be labeled a sexual predator, meaning that when he is released from prison he will be required to register with authorities in the county where he lives. That way, residents who live near him can be notified of his conviction for sexual crimes.
License plate numbers from all of his vehicles also will have to be registered with the state so authorities can track his whereabouts, Judge Krichbaum said.