Man sentenced in child rape attempt

BY STACI WILSON

A Factoryville man will spend five years in prison for attempting to rape an 11-year-old child in Susquehanna County.

Randy Steven Lawrence, 23, was described by his attorney, Patrick Daly, as a “troubled man” before the sentence was delivered and said he understood the long term consequences of his actions.

He pleaded guilty in February to a felony count of attempt rape of a child. The incident occurred July 5, 2010 in Bridgewater Twp.

But Daly said that although Lawrence had admitted to the crime, he was found not to be a sexually violent predator by the court’s assessment board.

District Attorney Jason Legg told the court that the child had come forward after the initial charges were filed and said abuse had been taking place over several years. He said he had agreed to not prosecute the other incidents.

Legg said the sexually violent predator assessment board did not know about the other allegations and Lawrence had not been entirely truthful with the board. He added that had the board known about the additional incidents, they would have come to a different conclusion.

Daly objected to the district attorney’s assertions calling them “speculative.”

Legg said he was willing to continue the sentencing at a later date and have Lawrence undergo a second evaluation.

President Judge Kenneth Seamans denied the prosecutor’s request.

Legg told the court Lawrence was “a person in need of treatment.”

Following jail time, Lawrence will also serve seven years on probation and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.