Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 28, 1995 TAG: 9501300049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After deliberating nearly six hours over two days, a jury in Roanoke Circuit Court recommended a sentence of 20 years in prison for Carl C. Owens on charges of rape and sodomy.
Testimony during the trial showed that Owens, 24, got to know the girl and won her trust, then raped her twice during the summer of 1993 at his Northwest Roanoke home.
``She looked at him as an older brother, and he took advantage of that,'' Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Gardner said. ``He robbed her of her childhood innocence.''
Because the victim was younger than 13, prosecutors were not required to prove there was a forcible rape. ``I would call it manipulation and taking advantage of someone with eight years of life experience,'' Gardner said.
In her testimony to the jury Thursday, the victim, now 10, used anatomically correct dolls to help explain what had happened.
Owens denied having sex with the girl, testifying that he was like a brother to her.
The incidents were reported to police about six months later, after a family member discovered what had happened. The girl could not recall specific dates, but told authorities the sexual encounters happened while she was in summer school.
As a result, authorities charged Owens with committing the crimes sometime between June 1 and Sept. 30 of 1993.
Owens, who had faced a punishment range of 10 years in prison to two life terms, was sent to jail after Friday's trial to await formal sentencing. His lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Eric Frith, could not be reached for comment.
by CNB