Ohioan sentenced to life for rape of 10-year-old

Associated Press

TOLEDO, Ohio

An Ohio man convicted of the 1993 attack and rape of a 10-year-old girl who was riding her bike in a wooded area was sentenced Friday to life in prison with parole eligibility.

Bradley Roberts, 44, was indicted in November and found guilty by a jury on May 10 of one count each of rape, kidnapping and gross sexual imposition in the attack on the girl in Sylvania Township near Toledo. The victim, now 28, was tearful as her attacker was sentenced in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, The Blade of Toledo reported.

She didn’t speak during the court hearing, but later told the newspaper that she was relieved that man who eluded authorities for nearly two decades was being held accountable.

to fields about a mile from her home when she was attacked and raped. She said it was the first time she had been given permission to go somewhere alone. The man covered her face and threatened her not to tell, she said.

Roberts was charged in the case after a test of the DNA found on the girl identified him as a suspect through DNA collected from him in other convictions. A DNA analyst testified that Roberts’ DNA was found to be “consistent” with the DNA on the victim and that the likelihood of anyone else having the profile was one in 1.197 billion.

Judge James Jensen imposed the mandatory sentence of life for rape because the victim was less than 13 years old, but Roberts was sentenced under the law in place at the time of the crime and will be eligible for parole in 10 years.

Roberts also was sentenced to 10 to 25 years for kidnapping, to run concurrently, and 4 to 10 years on the gross sexual imposition charge, to run consecutively.

The attorney appointed to handle Roberts’ appeal did not immediately return calls Friday.