Kevin Konther.Photo:Orange County District Attorney
Orange County District Attorney
Content warning: The following article contains disturbing descriptions.
• Kevin Konther has been convicted of rape and child molestation in connection with three cases, authorities say
• A judge called Konther a “sexual carnivore” during his sentencing, perThe Mercury News
A man convicted of kidnapping and raping a jogger and a 9-year-old girl in separate incidents as well as molesting a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to 140 years in prison, according to authorities.
Kevin Konther, 57, of Highland, Calif., was arrested in 2019 for the 1995 rape of a 9-year-old and the 1998 rape of a female jogger, according to a Februarypress statementfrom the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
A jury convicted him of two felony counts of forcible rape, two felony counts of forcible oral copulation, one felony count of a forcible lewd act upon a child and one felony count of a lewd and lascivious act with a minor, the press statement said.
On Friday, he was sentenced to 140 years to life in state prison, the DA’s office confirms with PEOPLE.
At the sentencing on Friday, the judge called Konther a “a sexual carnivore,”The Mercury Newsreported.
“This is like a cat, a lion, a cheetah looking for prey,” the judge said, per the outlet. “Vultures don’t do this to their young, rats don’t do this.”
In October 1995, Konther “grabbed” the 9-year-old girl as she was returning home after buying stationery for school, per the DA’s office statement. He dragged her down an embankment with her face covered before raping her, the statement said.
When the victim pleaded with him not to harm her and disclosed she was only 9 years old, Konther laughed at her, the victim testified,The Mercury Newsreported.
The child covered herself with her newly-purchased notebooks and pencils as she eventually escaped and reported the attack to her mother, according to the DA’s office.
Almost three years later, in June 1998, Konther attacked a 32-year-old woman while she was out on a jog and dragged her to an isolated area, just as he did in the 1995 attack, per the DA’s office statement. Konther, who was naked and wearing just his shoes, escaped after raping her.
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DNA evidence led police to Konther, who accused his identical twin brother — who has identical DNA — of the crimes, the press statement said.
In these conversations, Konther’s twin brother expressed shock at the crimes, the statement said.
Konther was also caught saying, “I just hate women” and discussing a “chemical imbalance in my brain,”The Mercury Newsreported, citing the recordings.
“I’ve been fighting that demon for a long time,” he said at one point.
“I’m a criminal in my past. I have serious issues,” he is heard saying in the recording, per the outlet. “Now I’ve got to pay for it, and I don’t want to.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
