Jones gets 15-to-life for rape

Created on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 Written by Brooks Canavesi

A sex offender convicted of raping a young girl was sentenced Monday to at least 15 years in prison by Logan County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark S. O’Connor.

Terry A. Jones, 44, was sentenced to three years in prison for charges of gross sexual imposition and 15 years to life for charges of rape.

A jury spent just under two hours deliberating Aug. 15 before finding the defendant guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of GSI following a two-day trial.

Judge O’Connor issued concurrent sentences in the case, observing the defendant’s lack of a prior felony record.

Mr. Jones addressed the court and apologized, not for his actions, but for prolonging the case.

“The reason I didn’t accept the plea bargain of an F3 is because I know in my heart and my mind that I’m an innocent man,” he read from a prepared statement. “I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but this isn’t one of them.”

Mr. Jones is labeled a Tier III sexual offender. The judge awarded him 63 days of jail-time credit.

Man pleads guilty to robbery

Geoffrey Barnes, 27, of Columbus, faces up to three years in prison after entering a guilty plea to a charge of third-degree robbery.

Read more Logan County Common Pleas Court news in Tuesday's Examiner.

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