Fourth man to be sentenced March 7
FRANKFORT, KY. (Nov. 30, 2016) – Attorney General Andy Beshear and his Special Prosecution Division today announced that three Hopkinsville men have been given 45 years combined prison sentence for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy at an October 2014 party in Christian County.
Beshear’s prosecutors handled the case for the state and helped secure the three pleas entered in August 2016 before Christian Circuit Judge John Atkins, who handed down the sentences today.
Those sentenced include:
* Colton Cavanaugh, 19, received a sentence of 20 years and must serve at least 12 years before he is eligible for parole. He was charged with first-degree sodomy, physically helpless, Class B felony; first-degree wanton endangerment, Class D felony; and tampering with physical evidence, Class D felony. He must register as a sex offender, as well as serve an additional five years of conditional release at the completion of his sentence. As part of his plea, Cavanaugh offer a public apology to the victim in August.
* Dayton Jones, 22, received a 15-year sentence on first-degree sodomy, Class B felony; first-degree wanton endangerment, Class D felony; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, Class D felony. He must register as a lifetime sex offender. Jones must serve at least 8 1/2 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. He will serve an additional five years of conditional release at the completion of his sentence. Jones offered a public apology to the victim today at his sentencing.
* Tyler Perry, 21, received a 10-year sentence to serve 85 percent of his sentence on first-degree assault, Class B felony.
A fourth man, Samual Miller, 20, will be sentenced March 7.
Miller is charged with first-degree complicity to wanton endangerment, Class D felony; complicity to tampering with physical evidence, Class D felony; and distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, Class D felony. His recommended sentence on all counts to run consecutively is 13 years. He must register as a sex offender.
The four defendants, whose combined sentencing totals nearly 60 years, sexually assaulted the minor while he was unconscious at a house party. In doing so, the defendants inflicted serious physical injury to the minor.
The AG’s special prosecution division is responsible for assisting local prosecutors in complex or sensitive cases, as well as, handle cases in which a local prosecutor disqualifies themselves.
One of Beshear’s core missions is to seek justice for victims of sexual assault.
