ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. -- A man accused of raping a 13-month-old relative and infecting her with a sexually transmitted disease was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison after pleading guilty.
Tommy Wayne Thomas, 20, had been charged with first-degree rape but agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge Tuesday because it would be "a horrible case to put before a jury," defense attorney David Credle said.
Assistant District Attorney Eula Reid said Thomas admitted to investigators that he raped the child last May while her mother ran an errand. The baby tested positive for gonorrhea later that month, and a pediatrician and the mother notified authorities.
Tommy Wayne Thomas, 20, had been charged with first-degree rape but agreed to plead guilty to the lesser charge Tuesday because it would be "a horrible case to put before a jury," defense attorney David Credle said.
Assistant District Attorney Eula Reid said Thomas admitted to investigators that he raped the child last May while her mother ran an errand. The baby tested positive for gonorrhea later that month, and a pediatrician and the mother notified authorities.









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