A Providence man charged in a sexual assault case last year was sentenced to prison on Wednesday.
Richard Royal Cornell, 74, was sentenced to 5 years to life in the Utah State Prison for charges of first-degree forcible sodomy and second-degree forcible sexual abuse. He pleaded guilty to the charges in July; as part of a plea agreement, remaining charges were dismissed and the state agreed to concurrent sentencing as credit for time served.
Prior to sentencing, defense attorney Shannon Demler told the court there was “no question” that what his client had done “violated social norms,” but Cornell had lived his life crime-free. Demler told the court Cornell was a hard-working “provider” who “obviously made some very, very bad decisions.” Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.
This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal and Utah Public Radio.
