MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Local News

March 16, 2009

Man gets 20 years suspended for rape of child

Vincent Martin LeCompte pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree rape of a 6-year-old in 2006 and received a suspended sentence

As part of the plea agreement, LeCompte, 44, of Muskogee will get a 20-year suspended sentence under supervision of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

“We feel that justice has been served — the defendant admitted what he did and will serve under very, very stringent rules and conditions of probation,” Adair County Assistant District Attorney Shannon Otteson said. “There are restrictions where he can live, work and who he can be around for 20 years. He is required to go to sex offender treatment.”

The girl has had to testify against LeCompte three times, including his preliminary hearing, she said.

“For her, it’s like being raped all over again — which was a huge consideration for us,” Otteson said. “She has to be our concern.”

The mother of the victim read a victim impact statement and told the court her daughter was the brunt of “this sick individual’s abuse. Vincent LeCompte stole my daughter’s innocence, her childhood and her trust. He took advantage of her, and she will have to deal with this the rest of her life.”

In the statement, the mother said she would go into detail, but it would make the court sick.

“Mentally, she has developed problems due to the trauma she was put through. In her mind, she knows that he will one day try to hurt her again,” the statement says. “Emotionally, she has been drained by having to talk to so many people, even having to face him. To identify him devastated her — she even freaks out at school — she thinks he is coming after her.”

The mother said her daughter sees a counselor every week to help her try to deal with the tragedy LeCompte bestowed in her life.

She told the judge LeCompte thought he would not be punished hard for what he did.

“He deserves more than what he is getting here today — but he will reap what he sowed. May God have mercy upon this sad man, and I can only pray he never hurts anyone else again.”

She said if it weren’t for the victim being a minor who has already been traumatized, “we would seek imprisonment for this sick man — without question.”

Otteson prosecuted the case because Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore’s former law partner, Bob Locke, was the defense attorney.



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