A Plainville man was sentenced in Cayuga County Court Thursday to 18 years in prison for the felonies of first-degree rape and second-degree assault.

Harold Calkins, 22, formerly of White Cemetery Road, Cato, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a woman who was then 18 years old, cutting her with a knife and forcing her to perform different sexual acts with him in a wooded area in Sterling on July 1, 2006. He changed his plea on what would have been the first day of his jury trial in June.

“The victim and her family are very happy,” Cayuga County District Attorney James

Vargason said. “She was thrilled that she was not going to have to confront him in a court room and was happy with the 18-year sentence.

“Now she has 18 years that she does not have to look over her shoulder and be afraid that he would be there,” he added.

Calkins was arraigned last August on nine felony rape, kidnapping, assault and criminal sex act charges. He pleaded to the top two counts of the indictment - first-degree rape and second-degree assault.

“Nothing short of the most serious counts would have satisfied me,” Vargason said.

Vargason said that this was one of the most serious violent rape cases he has handled in his 16 years as district attorney.

“It was disturbing today to see absolutely no remorse at all,” he said. “He stood there stoically, unapologetic and that's disturbing. This was such a violent, calculated act that it indicated to me that this young guy was a time bomb, and he exploded on the day he did these acts.”

Defense attorney Paul Carey could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239