BENTONVILLE -- A Lowell man was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday after he pleaded guilty to raping a girl.
Norman Lee Hunter, 77, pleaded guilty to rape, a Class Y felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment. He pleaded guilty under a plea agreement that attorney Rachel Stills reached with Carrie Dobbs, deputy prosecutor.
Hunter was arrested Oct. 15. Hunter admitted he raped a 13-year-old girl 12 to 15 years ago, according to court documents. He admitted in court to engaging in sexual act through forcible compulsion.
Circuit Judge Brad Karren accepted the plea agreement and Hunter's guilty plea.
Hunter was sentenced to 12 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. He must serve 70 percent of the time before he will be eligible for parole. Hunter must abide by a suspended-sentence agreement for eight years after his release from prison.
He will be required to register as a sex offender, must complete the prison's sex-offender treatment program and must pay $2,120 in court costs.
Metro on 06/26/2015