At sentencing, rapist blames 10-year-old
MERCER, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania man being sentenced on rape charges blamed his 10-year-old victim, claiming she initiated sex with him.
The (Sharon, Pa.) Herald reports 49-year-old Merrell "Moe" Sanders was sentenced Thursday to 10 to 20 years in prison. He pleaded no contest to two counts of rape for repeated contact with the girl starting in 2007.
Sanders' attorney, Randall Hetrick, says the case "can't be much worse." He says he believes his client is having a hard time acknowledging his crimes "because the facts are so horrible."
Mercer County Judge Daniel Wallace warned Sanders that he'll likely serve the maximum 20-year sentence if he can't acknowledge wrongdoing. The state parole board won't grant his release if he continues to deny the crimes.