Crime & Safety
Paraplegic Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Attempted Rape
A week-long trial ended Friday.
After telling her mother he was going to the bathroom, Elbert Roman Tate rolled his wheelchair through the house and into the bedroom of an 11-year-old girl, where he climbed into bed with her and assaulted her.
According to a story in the Athens Banner Herald, Tate was convicted on Friday of attempted rape along with charges of aggravated sodomy, several counts of child molestation and aggravated sexual battery.
A judge sentenced Tate to 35 years of prison and 25 years of probation, the story says. A previous trial in December ended in a mistrial. Tate was arrested in February 2012 after police believe he had been molesting the girl for months.
Find out what's happening in Athenswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.