Man Convicted Of Violent Rapes In Sacramento County

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — DNA evidence has led to a jury convicting a man of multiple violent rapes, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office announced.

Hawthorne McGee was convicted of rape, rape of a 14-year-old and oral copulation by force of a 14-year-old.

According to prosecutors, the crimes happened in June 2006 and November 2009.

In 2006, the then-14-year-old victim reportedly saw a friend driving in a car with McGee. The victim and the friend went to McGee's house, where McGee had told the friend to leave the house, prosecutors said. McGee was found to have forcefully raped the victim for about one hour in his living room.

While this was happening, McGee's girlfriend was in the bedroom and heard everything—including the child crying and telling him she was only 14. The girlfriend eventually was able to drive the victim away from the house.

In 2009, a separate victim was at a light rail station when McGee approached her and began speaking with her. He had eventually persuaded her to go to a motel with him to have pizza.

The victim told McGee multiple times she had no intentions of having sex and was only interested in talking, according to prosecutors. Once they arrived at the room, McGee hit her several times and strangled her as he sexually assaulted her. The victim had passed out for several hours and woke up to injuries all over her body.

DNA evidence collected after both of the assaults and rapes had matched to McGee.

McGee faces 45 years to life behind bars and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 20.

He had prior convictions for domestic violence, gun possession, reckless driving and DUI.