Jesse Stone, a teenager who admitted to sexually assaulting a 91-year-old woman while she was asleep, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 30 years of sex offender probation. The shocking crime was committed when Stone was just 14 years old, Marion County, Florida prosecutors revealed.
They detailed how Stone had broken into the elderly woman's home and attacked her during the night. Video evidence from LawandCrime showed police informing Stone that his DNA had been discovered at the scene of the crime.
He subsequently pleaded guilty as an adult to one count each of sexual assault by someone under 18 years toward a victim over the age of 12 and burglary of a dwelling with battery. During Friday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors emphasised the brutal nature of Stone's actions and noted that the victim had previously treated him kindly.
"This was a woman that only ever showed him loving-kindness throughout his time living in the neighbourhood with her," said prosecutor Katrina Self. She added that the woman had "considered the defendant to be a friend," It was reported that during the assault, Stone had covered the victim's face with a pillow, potentially suffocating her, and continued to restrain her even after she resisted.
"This was not him simply panicking," Self stated, emphasising that Stone's actions were deliberate choices. "His actions are egregious and the victim in this case is lucky to be alive under these circumstances," Judge Lisa Herndon declared during her sentencing of Stone,
During the hearing, Stone's lawyer, Jonathan Mills highlighted the now 15 year old's absence of a criminal record and challenging upbringing. "His brain was nowhere near fully developed when this incident happened," Mills argued.
Mills revealed that Stone was "addicted to pornography," and lacked a paternal influence in his life. He further noted that his client deeply regrets his actions and pointed to his good academic performance as an indication that Stone would respond positively to sex offender treatment.
