Newspaper

A 32-year-old former Newton man will serve at least 12 and one-half years in prison for a laundry list of sex-related crimes.

Michael Rector, housed in the Harvey County Jail since November but formerly of 412 E. 11th, was sentenced Friday by Harvey County District Court Judge Richard Walker to 14.8 years in prison for three counts of attempted rape, two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and six counts of aggravated burglary. The charges stem from a rash of residence break-ins and attacks in northeast Newton that ended in July 1998.

Walker sentenced Rector to 89 months in prison on the first attempted rape charge, then was limited by Kansas law to a 51-month prison sentence on each of the other two rape counts.

On the two indecent liberties counts, Rector was sentenced to 51 months in prison.

On each of the six aggravated burglary counts, Rector was sentenced to 34 months in prison. Those sentences will run concurrently, and concurrently with the sentences in the rape and indecent liberties charges.

Walker said the controlling sentences in the first five counts total 293 months, but Kansas law prevents him from doing more than doubling the controlling 89-month sentence on the first rape charge. Thus, the judge sentenced Rector to 178 months, or 14.8 years, in prison.

A motion from defense attorney Don Snapp for a form of community release was denied.

Rector will receive credit for the eight months he has served in the Harvey County Jail. He also will be able to earn 2.23 years off the sentence for good behavior.