A Proctorville man convicted of rape this summer pleaded guilty last month to carrying a weapon while behind bars.

Thursday, December 14, 2000

A Proctorville man convicted of rape this summer pleaded guilty last month to carrying a weapon while behind bars.

Leonard R. Dement Jr., formerly of Proctorville, faced a second-degree felony charge of possession of a deadly weapon while in detention. He entered a guilty plea during a court hearing Nov. 20, Lawrence County prosecutor J.B. Collier Jr. said.

Dement, 36, pleaded guilty in August to first-degree felony rape of an 8-year-old girl. He was sentenced Sept. 14 to 18 years in prison.

While awaiting trial, Dement was accused of vandalizing the courthouse, making a weapon and carrying that weapon into the Lawrence County Jail.

In September, a grand jury indicted Dement on those charges. Several were later dropped.

Following Dement’s Nov. 20 plea to possession of a deadly weapon, Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Judge Frank McCown found Dement guilty, according to prosecutor’s office records.

McCown sentenced Dement to five years in prison to be served at the same time he is serving the sentence for rape. He received credit for 181 days in jail and must pay court costs, McCown ordered.