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Plea deal cuts prison time in rape case
YOUNGSTOWN
A Washingtonville man will spend seven years in prison for raping a 5-year-old girl in her home nearly three years ago.
Shawn Unger, 27, of Chris Avenue, Washingtonville, appeared before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for sentencing on one count of rape.
He originally had been charged with a rape count with a possible life sentence, but made a plea agreement with prosecutors in January.
Natasha Frenchko, an assistant county prosecutor, said the plea agreement, with a recommendation of seven years in prison, was reached to spare the young victim more mental trauma.
“We made this offer with the mother’s approval so the daughter would not have to come to court and testify at such a young age about the incident that took place,” she said Thursday.
The child’s mother said she had been friends with Unger for about eight months when he sneaked into her home and touched her daughter. The girl is now 7.
The mother said the incident has made her daughter less trusting of people, especially men. “He stole the trust we had. He was supposed to be a friend, and he touched my daughter,” she said.
The grandmother of the victim asked the court to keep Unger behind bars as long as possible.
“If he did it once, he will do it again to another child,” she said.
Atty. Jeff Jakmides, representing Unger, told the court his client has an aggressive form of cancer and just learned that there are now more complications with the illness.
Unger told the judge he was “terribly sorry for what happened.”
“I don’t understand what drives someone to do something like this to an innocent 5-year-old little girl,” Judge Durkin said before sentencing Unger.
The judge ordered Unger to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Unger also must spend five years on probation upon his release from prison and have no contact with the victim or her family.