A former University of Oregon student was sentenced on Monday to 16 months in prison for sexually assaulting a fellow classmate at an off-campus fraternity party in February 2016.
Sean Donald Wood, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse back in May.
Wood was originally arrested in March 2016 and was also charged in a separate incident involving another student from September 2013. Those charges were later dropped after the victim declined to testify in court proceedings.
The day before his scheduled May 2 jury trial, Wood entered into an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the second-degree sexual abuse charge, which is a felony.
Wood was initially facing multiple charges, including assault in the fourth degree, strangulation, attempted sodomy in the first degree, unlawful penetration in the first degree and sexual abuse in the first degree, all of which he originally pleaded not guilty to. The additional charges were dropped when he reached the plea deal, reports the Daily Emerald.
As part of his sentencing, Wood will also serve three years of probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He is also required to undergo sex offender treatment in prison.
Two psychologists and Wood’s mother and brother both testified on his behalf. The psychologists stated that Wood would benefit more from treatment than from prison.
According to the Register-Guard, Wood wept in court and apologized to the victim multiple times.
“While I have no doubt about the sincerity of your apology, your conduct was a violent act that hurt another person,” Judge Karrie McIntyre told Wood at the sentencing.
The victim’s attorney, Katarzyna Mlynski, read aloud her statement, which described the sexual assault. The woman’s statement recalled Wood holding down her hands and feet and ripping off her dress, biting and mocking her during the attack. She also recalled the “sickening feeling of his hands on my throat”.
“If I don’t hold you accountable for your actions, who will?” the statement continued.
