A judge ordered Thursday a man convicted of rape to serve 27 years in an Indiana Department of Correction prison.
Steven Grogan, 37, of Shirley, was found guilty of rape and battery at the conclusion of a three-day trial in December.
Grogan’s is the first rape case to go before a Hancock County jury in nearly a decade, officials said.
The 12 Hancock County residents who served as jurors spent nearly six hours deliberating before convicting Grogan of the five assault-related charges he faced, including three Level 3 felony counts of rape.
Grogan’s accuser testified the abuse went on daily for nearly a year. She told police she’d often lie motionless in her bed while Grogan assaulted her, praying silently for it to be over, according to court documents.
She told the jury she’d never planned on telling anyone about the assaults because saying it aloud would mean admitting it had actually happened. She eventually confided in a therapist, who contacted police.
The judge ordered that Grogan serve nine years for each of the Level 3 felony counts of rape that were filed against him.
Nine years is the recommended sentence for Level 3 felony counts, though judges can choose to sentence defendants to a maximum of 16 years.
Upon his release from prison, Grogan will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.