Toledo man gets prison for rape, burglary conviction
11/8/2012Calling the actions of Kenneth Moore “utterly disgusting and reprehensible,” a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge sentenced the Toledo man to 23 years in prison for the rape and robbery of a woman in her apartment.
“You are just 19 years old and you have committed one of the worst kinds of crimes,” Judge Linda Jennings said. “…You placed this woman in fear of her life. You demoralized her, you degraded her, and you stole her sense of security and independence.”
Moore of 801 Magnolia St. entered an Alford plea last month to aggravated burglary with a gun specification and rape. Judge Jennings sentenced him to 10 years for each charge plus an additional three years for the gun specification, all to run consecutively.
As a labeled sex offender, Moore will be required once he is released from prison to register his address with the sheriff every 90 days for life. Judge Jennings also ordered community notification, meaning that those living near him would be notified that he was moving nearby.
Moore and a co-defendant, 16-year-old Anthony Mitchell, each entered pleas for sexually assaulting the 23-year-od woman at gunpoint. Mitchell entered an Alford plea Monday to aggravated burglary with a one-year gun specification and rape. He will be sentenced Nov. 28.
In an Alford plea, the defendant maintains his innocence or does not admit he committed a crime, but acknowledges evidence is sufficient for a conviction. The court treats it as a guilty plea.
Prior to being sentenced, Moore apologized to the victim for his actions.
Authorities said the two teens would go to residences and businesses to sell candles, and had actually approached the victim at her place of business a few weeks before the July 16 assault.The victim next saw the two and went to the door of the victim's Ryan Road apartment where she declined to purchase candles. Authorities said that the victim was asked by Moore to use her bathroom and “against her better judgment,” she allowed him inside.
Moore returned from the bathroom with a loaded handgun and Mitchell entered the apartment and locked the door.
The victim was forced at gunpoint to strip out of her clothing and, after being threatened that they were going to have sex with her, was forced to perform oral sex on both defendants.
The victim told Judge Jennings that her life changed within the few minutes that the two were inside her home. She explained that she can no longer go places alone at night, and that she struggles often with emotions of anger, sadness and fear.
“Life as I knew it ended the moment Kenneth Moore closed my door and pointed that gun at my head,” the victim told the judge. “Some of the hurt will go away over the years, but I will live with this terrible memory forever.”
Judge Jennings noted that after forcing the victim to perform oral sex with a gun to her head, Moore began taking her personal property and left threatening her that she would be killed if she called police.
The pair was arrested days later when an off-duty police officer recognized them from a sketch of the suspects.
Contact Erica Blake at: eblake@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.