Bart Hilding of South Bend was sentenced Friday to 21 years to 33 years in prison on stalking and sexual assault convictions stemming from a 2007 incident with a former girlfriend.
the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, May 1, 2008 7:00 pm
Bart Hilding of South Bend was sentenced Friday to 21 years to 33 years in prison on stalking and sexual assault convictions stemming from a 2007 incident with a former girlfriend.
Hilding, 32, was convicted by a Lancaster County District Court jury in February on two counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of misdemeanor stalking.
Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront sentenced Hilding to 10 to 16 years in prison on each of the sexual assault convictions and one year on the stalking charge. The judge gave Hilding credit for 360 days he already has spent in custody.
Authorities arrested Hilding last year after his former girlfriend accused him of sexually assaulting her at her Lincoln apartment on two occasions in April.
The woman also claimed Hilding had bought her a puppy and twice sent her flowers at her job, even though she had ended the romantic relationship.
Hilding’s attorney argued at trial the sex was consensual and that the woman fabricated the accusations out of spite.
Prosecutors said the woman realized after the second assault that if she did not contact police the incidents would continue.