One man convicted in September of sexually abusing a child could well spend the rest of his life in prison as a result.
Joe Louis Stewart, Jr., 58, was sentenced to 25 years to life imprisonment during a hearing in Lyon County District Court on Friday.
Stewart’s sentence followed convictions on two counts of aggravated indecent liberties against a then-10-year-old in a case dating back to 2016. He had originally been charged with aggravated criminal sodomy with an alternate count of aggravated indecent liberties, but prosecutors dismissed the sodomy count after the defense team rested its case.
The case qualified for the state’s Jessica’s Law provisions, which increase penalties against people convicted of certain sex crimes against children and teenagers, including aggravated indecent liberties, rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, criminal solicitation and attempts or conspiracies towards these crimes. Crimes of aggravated human trafficking, promoting prostitution and sexual exploitation also qualify if the victim is under 14 years old.
Stewart was convicted in 1992 on charges of aggravated sodomy and aggravated burglary dating to a 1992 case. He was discharged from prison in 2004.
