An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Monday sentenced 19-year-old Jessye Potts to 25 years in prison for the New Year's Day rape of a teenage girl, who in an emotional statement to the court said Potts "killed the old me."
"I was happy to be able to see my family again," she said. "But the negative is I still can't hug anyone. I hesitate when people try and comfort me."
The victim, who now attends college, said the assault "broke" her family and causes her to avoid any kind of social life. She said she didn't think Potts could be rehabilitated.
Potts could have faced numerous felonies at trial for raping the girl near train tracks in South Anchorage after beating her and restraining her with duct tape. However, he pleaded guilty to a single first-degree sex assault charge after entering into a plea agreement in June.
Potts faced 20 to 30 years in prison and a maximum aggravated sentence of 99 years. Assistant district attorney Jack McKenna requested a total sentence above that range, arguing Potts' actions caused atypical injury -- a cut on the back of the victim's head -- and constituted a "most serious" offense under the charge.
"I recognize (Potts) took responsibility for his actions and pleaded guilty," McKenna said, "but he's already reaped a significant reward for his cooperation."
Rehabilitation should take a backseat, he argued, and the sentence should reflect that of a violent rape.
According to the charging document, the victim told detectives she met up with Potts, a friend who had texted her, about 3:15 p.m. New Year's Day. Police said the girl was 17. She knew Potts, 18 at the time, and agreed to go on a walk with him. They went to Johns Park in the city's Oceanview neighborhood, not far from railroad tracks that run along Turnagain Arm.
As they were resting atop a hill near the tracks, the girl commented it was getting late and dark. Potts allegedly ignored her and said something like, "Sometimes crazy things pop into my head." As the two were walking home, Potts attacked the girl from behind, the charges say.
Potts allegedly struck the girl repeatedly before he bound her hands and mouth with duct tape, pushed her face into the snow and raped her, the charges say. The victim later told police she thought Potts was trying to suffocate her.
Potts was arrested later that night.
Anchorage police detective Jean Dupuis testified during Monday's sentencing, identifying items found in Potts' backpack. Those items included pornography, lube, razor blades and a box of sex toys.
Judge Michael Spaan agreed with the state's arguments, though he noted he would focus more on the long-term, emotional damage Potts' attack caused the victim than he would on the atypical injuries.
"The fact that he had duct tape and sex toys" suggests the rape was premeditated, the judge said. "You were pumped and primed."
Potts spoke briefly before the court, stating nothing could justify his actions, including his abuse of drugs.
"I'm sorry for my string of poor decisions and how those decisions affected you," Potts read from a tattered yellow page of lined paper.