A Michigan man convicted of sexual activity with a pre-teenaged girl while in Emporia several years ago now faces more life terms in prison after a resentencing hearing in Lyon County District Court on Friday.
Judge Jeff Larson sentenced Hershel Alfonzo Kemp, 35, to three life terms in prison after rape convictions in 2016. Those will be served consecutively to four other life terms after convictions ranging from rape to aggravated indecent liberties to aggravated criminal sodomy to sexual exploitation.
As part of the sentence, Kemp has to serve a minimum 25 years in prison before he’s eligible for parole. He also has to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life.
Three years ago, Kemp was convicted of molesting a then-10-year-old girl from 2014 to 2016 while living in Emporia. District Court had set aside guilty verdicts on three rape counts because they may not have reflected unanimous agreement by the jurors and initially made arrangements for a new trial on those counts. However. the Kansas Court of Appeals reversed that part of the ruling, setting the stage for Friday’s resentencing announcement.
An appeal is likely.
