Man given life sentence for molesting girl, 9, in '03

8/5/2004

A Toledo man who molested a girl was sentenced yesterday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to life in prison.

Marcus D. Fortune, 39, of 1926 North Holland-Sylvania Rd., was sentenced by Judge Charles Wittenberg, who also determined that the defendant was an aggravated sexually-oriented offender.

A jury found Fortune guilty on one count each of rape and gross sexual imposition for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl in September, 2003. He was convicted June 30.

He also was accused of sexually molesting an 8-year-old boy, but the jury found him not guilty of gross sexual imposition in that case.

Because the victim was under 10, Judge Wittenberg was mandated by state law to sentence Fortune to the life sentence on the rape. The defendant will be eligible for parole in 10 years.

Fortune was sentenced to 17 additional months for violating conditions of a community-control sentence for a 2002 burglary conviction.