Delaware man sentenced to 11 years for raping a woman and assaulting a corrections officer

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A Delaware man who pleaded guilty to raping a local woman and then assaulting a corrections officer was sentenced to 11 years in prison Monday morning in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.

Shawn Allen Harrel, 40, 84 Scottwood Court, was sentenced on two counts of rape as well as a charge of harassment by an inmate and a charge of vandalism in connection with harassing the corrections officer Monday morning.

The two counts of rape are first-degree felonies.

Judge Everett Krueger ordered Harrel to serve 11 years for each count of rape, and one year for both the harassment and the vandalism charge. Krueger said the charges would be served concurrently. Harrel will also face two years of post-release control upon completion of his prison terms.

Harrel had been originally indicted on three counts of rape, with specifications designating him as a sexually violent predator. However, as part of plea negotiations, the third count of rape and the specifications were dismissed. Prosecutors had said the specifications would have added between 10 years to life to any sentence Harrel would receive.

Harrel was in the Delaware County Jail Monday afternoon, awaiting transport to prison.

Prosecutors allege that on the morning of July 9, Harrel went to the home of a Delaware woman he had only known for a week and forced her to perform sex acts with him. Assistant prosecutor Kyle Rohrer said that, although Harrel and the woman had had sex twice in the week they had known each other, she resisted and said no to Harrel’s advances on July 9.

While Harrel was in county jail awaiting his arraignment on the rape charges, he became agitated during a health checkup and began to throw medical equipment at jail personnel, prosecutors said. When corrections officers attempted to restrain him, he attempted to kick at them and spit in the face of corrections officer Joshua Young. Young reported that Harrel’s saliva had gotten inside his mouth and Young was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for a checkup.

Harrel was indicted again on July 24 on a charge of harassment by an inmate and a charge of vandalism, which are both fifth-degree felonies.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the harassment and vandalism charges at his arraignment on July 29 but he changed his plea to guilty on Oct. 21.

Harrel, a sex offender registered with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, was convicted of gross sexual imposition in 1999 and was ordered to register as a sex offender and serve 15 months in prison.

Harrel also has prior convictions in Delaware County Common Pleas Court for unlawful sexual conduct, burglary and receiving stolen property.

Harrel
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/12/web1_Shawn-Harrel.jpgHarrel

By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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