Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault of Quinnipiac University Student

A New Haven man was sentenced to 18 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a Quinnipiac University student in her off-campus housing in April, 2013 according to the New Haven Register.

Marcello Cervantes, 30, entered a conditional nolo contendere plea under which he can appeal an earlier ruling that denied his attempt to suppress his statement to Hamden police in which Cervantes told two detectives he had a consensual sexual encounter with a Quinnipiac student he met at a bar, according to the Register.

Under Cervantes’ plea agreement, he will avoid a potential prison sentence of up to 45 years if he had gone to trial and been convicted. He received a 10-year sentence for home invasion and eight years for first-degree sexual assault, according to the Register.

Prior to the sentencing, a statement by the woman was read by Victim Services Advocate Beata Bagi and the woman referred to herself as “the survivor” of the attack rather than “the victim,” according to the Register.

Read accounts of her statement and the full story at the New Haven Register here.

Image via Shutterstock

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