Elyria man gets 20-to-25 1/2 years in prison for raping teen girl

ELYRIA — An Elyria man convicted of raping and molesting a teenage girl last year will spend at least the next 20 years in prison. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Donna Freeman on Thursday sentenced Brandon Hampton, 38, of Bellfield Avenue to 20-to-25½ years in prison for raping the girl. A four-day trial in Freeman's court in February ended with a jury finding Hampton guilty of two counts of rape and three counts of gross sexual imposition, all felonies, and not guilty of one count of rape. Prison was mandatory. Hampton must serve at least 20 years in prison before he can be released, and will have to register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office had asked for that 20 years, with Assistant Prosecutor Susan Oates saying in court that Hampton committed "one of the most depraved acts somebody can do to another person." Forensic testing found Hampton's DNA in multiple places on the girl's body where it shouldn't be. The victim, who was 14, "suffered physical and psychological harm" and trauma as a result of three sexual assaults, Oates said. Hampton declined to speak in court. Defense attorney Matt Bobrowski said Hampton will appeal. Bobrowski asked that Hampton have a chance at rehabilitation. His client has a lot of family support, he said. "I believe Mr. Hampton's character, despite the charges in this case, is a person who has always been a provider and a person who has done right by his family," Bobrowski said. "He has a very vocal, supportive group of advocates." Hampton told police he was too drunk to remember what happened, according to the Prosecutor's Office. "I don't remember putting my thing in" the victim, Hampton told Elyria police in an interview Oates referenced in court. When the victim told Hampton he had hurt her, he didn't deny it or show any concern, Oates said. Oates said Hampton told the girl: "You'll be all right." Hampton has shown no remorse for the damage he did to the victim or his family, Oates said. "He continues to rely on conspiracy theory that doesn't explain (the victim's) injuries and doesn't explain the DNA," she said. "There is no remorse in that man. I do not believe he can be rehabilitated." The victim wrote in an impact statement that Hampton refused to give her a reason why he did what he did. "You can't even own up to it," she wrote in her statement, which Oates read in court. "Maybe one day you'll give me a true answer." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.