Man enters guilty plea in rape case

A Russellville man who engaged in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl pleaded guilty to statutory rape charges on Wednesday before his case was heard by a Franklin County jury on Thursday.
Kevin O’Neal Willis, 43, 158 McKay Road, Russellville, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree rape, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.
According to Rushing, Willis pleaded guilty to a 20-year sentence for each count with four years to serve concurrently.
According to reports, Willis was arrested on the second-degree rape and sexual abuse charges last June when family members of the 13-year-old girl contacted DHR to report inappropriate behavior between the girl and Willis.
After the girl was questioned, she admitted to the encounters with Willis that occurred a year earlier. After the girl admitted to Willis’ involvement in the relationship, he was arrested and charged.
“The victims in this case wanted Mr. Willis to plead to a sex charge so he would have to register as a sex offender and they wanted him to have no contact with their family ever again and we were able to accomplish those things with this plea agreement,” Rushing said. “Anytime you can settle a case involving the sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 16 without the victim having to testify and relive the abuse, we feel it’s a victory.”
Rushing added that in addition to the four years Willis was sentenced to serve, he will have to finish out the remaining two and a half years he is currently serving for a previous drug charge he received in 2006.
“I think the sentence Mr. Willis agreed to serve was reasonable based on the near 30-year age difference and the fact that he preyed on this family for an extended period of time,” Rushing said.