A former Smethport man was sentenced — again — on Tuesday for a 2013 rape case.
John F. Brown Jr., 41, was originally found guilty at a McKean County jury trial in 2013; however, his conviction was reversed in 2020, and the case was to be scheduled for another trial.
Instead, Brown pleaded guilty on April 6 to charges of rape by forcible compulsion and criminal attempt-rape by forcible compulsion, first-degree felonies; indecent assault-forcible compulsion, a first-degree misdemeanor; and simple assault, a second-degre misdemeanor.
According to court records, Brown’s new sentence is for 7 ½ to 16 years in state prison with a consecutive period of probation.
His original sentence — imposed on Jan. 17, 2014 — was for eight to 22 years in prison.
At the original trial in 2013, a jury found Brown guilty of all the above charges, as well as an additional misdemeanor charge.
While he served that sentence, attorneys filed multiple appeals and post conviction collateral relief petitions on his behalf. Then, in 2020, the conviction was reversed.
Court records filed at the time of Brown’s arrest alleged that on June 20, 2013, the female victim and her three children — ages 2, 6 and 8 — were outside their home, when Brown showed up uninvited and pulled her inside the home’s mud room. She tried to get up, and he slammed her head on the floor.
There was some struggle, and he pulled her to her feet, forced her into the bedroom, threw her on the bed, got on top of her, choked her — causing her to lose consciousness — then when she regained consciousness, raped her, court records had alleged.
