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Two sexual assault suspects to serve 5 years in prison
Published 12:02am Thursday, September 20, 2012NATCHEZ — Two of the three men charged in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl in January will be serving jail time.
Adams County Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders sentenced Mario K. Byrd, 24, 1-B Ingram Circle, and Charles T. Buchannan III, 21, 203 N. Concord Ave., to five years Tuesday.
Lawrence D. Green, 20, 1116 Martin Luther King Jr. St., was also sentenced to five years, but his sentence was suspended.
On the night of Jan. 22, the three men reportedly offered the victim a ride while she was walking home from a friend’s house on Gayosa Avenue, according to a Natchez police report. Instead, the victim reportedly walked with men to an abandoned house on Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
According to the report, the victim reported the suspects unsuccessfully attempted to break into the house.
The report states the suspects led the victim to a car porch, where one of the suspects reportedly shoved her to the ground. The victim reported that the suspects laughed as each of them allegedly sexually assaulted her.
According to the report, the victim said she saw a witness walk by after the assault flashing a message on a cell phone for the victim to come with the witness. The victim reported that one of the suspects told the witness to mind their own business, and the witness reportedly left.
The men were originally charged with statutory rape.
Sexual battery carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in Mississippi.
All three men must register as sex offenders.
