HANCOCK COUNTY — A New Palestine man will serve a 13-year sentence after admitting he sexually assaulted a woman he’d held inside his home last year, a judge ordered.
Dustin Hunt, 42, will serve 10 years in an Indiana Department of Correction facility and three years on probation after pleading guilty to rape, criminal confinement and domestic battery. He’s also been ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The victim told police she got into an argument with Hunt at his home on the county’s south side in October. During the exchange, he blocked every attempt she made to get out of the house, telling her that he only “would let her leave if she had sex with him,” according to court documents.
When the woman refused, Hunt forced himself on her, the victim told investigators, court documents state. At one point during the incident, Hunt pulled out a knife and threatened to harm himself, police said.
She eventually escaped and called 911, officials said.
The county SWAT team surrounded Hunt’s home for nearly three hours on the night of the incident because he wouldn’t surrender himself, officials said. He only existed his home after SWAT officers shot tear gas inside.
Hunt accepted a plea agreement from prosecutors that called for him to admit to three of five criminal counts that were filed against him.
Hunt pleaded guilty to: one Level 3 felony count of rape; one Level 5 felony count of criminal confinement resulting in bodily injury; and one Level 6 felony count of domestic battery.
One Level 6 felony count of criminal confinement and one Level 6 felony count of sexual battery that Hunt also faced were dropped in the deal.
Hunt has spent the last seven months in jail. There, he’s participated in Jail Interdiction Program, or JIP, which uses the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous programs to help those who struggle with addiction to better understand what led them to drug use and what drives them to continue that drug use.
Hunt spoke to the Daily Reporter last month during a JIP meeting. He said the program has helped him better understand himself and learn to take responsibility for the mistakes he’s made.
Hunt’s participation in the JIP program did not impact his sentence.
During his sentencing hearing Wednesday afternoon, Hancock County Superior Court 1 Judge Terry Snow asked Hunt to tell him about his “extensive” criminal history and how he felt about the decade of prison time he has ahead of him.
“This just sucks,” Hunt said, breathlessly. “I’m sorry I wasted everybody’s time.”
“I’m not a bad person,” he continued. “It just always seems like everybody keeps track of what you do wrong, not what we do good.”
Hunt cannot have contact with the victim involved in the case until his sentence has been served.
The woman told police she went to Hunt’s home to collect some of her belongings, and they got into an argument that eventually became physical.
Hunt took her cellphone and car keys, the woman said. She tried several times to run from the home, but Hunt blocked her every attempt, putting his body between her and the door, court documents state.
She tried to climb out of a kitchen window, but Hunt grabbed her, picked up a knife and threatened to harm himself, court documents state. She knocked the knife away, she said.
Hunt then told the woman he’d let her leave only if she had sex with him, the victim told police, according to court documents.
She said no, but he held her down and forced himself on her, the victim told police, according to court documents.
Hunt then handed over the woman’s car keys and cellphone. She fled from the house and 911 from the parking lot of nearby grocery store, court documents state.