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Portsmouth man sentenced to life in prison for rape of child

Posted at 9:17 PM, Jun 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-15 21:17:10-04

Arthur Burke

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – A man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for the rape of a child, the Commonwealth’s Attorney of Portsmouth said.

30-year-old Arthur Burke was sentenced to life in prison for the rape of a child under the age of 13, which happened in October of 2012.

On April 11 Burke pleaded not guilty all charges against him, the Commonwealth’s Attorney said.

The victim of his crimes was under the age of 13 at the time of the offense.

The Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office presented evidence before a jury over a period of two days.

At the conclusion of the jury trial Burke was convicted of Rape and Indecent Liberties by a Custodian.

The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison, the mandatory minimum for Rape of a child under the age of 13, and a fine of $2,500 for Indecent Liberties by a Custodian.

Arthur Burke was formally sentenced on June 14 in the Portsmouth Circuit Court, where the jury recommendation was imposed.

The defendant stated in open court during the sentencing hearing that if he was going to be sentenced to the rest of his life in prison, he might as well be executed.