Staff photo / Ed Runyan Keontae Thomas, 27, center, was sentenced to 36-to-41 years in prison Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after being convcited of two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated robbery and gun specifications. At right is his attorney, Frank Cassese.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Maureen Sweeney sentenced Keontae Thomas, 27, to 36-to-41-years in prison Friday after he was convicted at trial of rape, kidnapping and aggravated robbery for meeting up with an escort in Youngstown in 2022, holding a gun to her head and raping her multiple times

It was all captured on the woman’s nanny cam in her living room.

The sentence exceeded the recommendation of prosecutors, who sought at least 25 years in prison, plus the additional time that goes along with the Reagan Tokes law.

“This is one of the most serious offenses that comes before this court,” Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Hilles told Sweeney. “The defendant did not simply commit a rape, he invaded the victim’s home, armed himself with a firearm, held that firearm to her head while he forcefully” raped her twice and robbed her “and continued to restrain her liberty by forcing her through her own home.”

Hilles said Thomas has a criminal history of convictions for aggravated robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm and other felonies.

The victim spoke, saying what Thomas did to her “created a level of mental torture that has not ended. It was not just physical violation. It was an invasion of my mind, my peace and my identity.”

She said Thomas “took control in a way that left me trying to recover pieces of myself that were never meant to be taken. At the same time, I do take accountability for my own life.

“I was not perfect before this happened. I made choices I am not proud of, and I carry a certain shame that I continue to work through in my healing process. But I want to be clear, nothing about my past justifies what he did to me,” she said.

Thomas and his attorney, Frank Cassese, did not offer any remarks prior to sentencing. Cassese said that is because there will be an appeal filed in the case.

Prosecutors said the victim posted an ad on an escort service app and arranged a meet-up with Thomas at her home on Nov. 26, 2022.

Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlyn Andrews said during opening statements in Thomas’ trial that the victim intended to sell one sex act to Thomas, but when she asked him for the money, he raped her two times at gunpoint.

“Every person has a right to choose what sexual activities they will consent to. And that doesn’t go away simply because of your occupation,” Andrews said.

After the jury found Thomas guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated robbery and gun specifications, Hilles said the verdict meant a lot.

“These kinds of cases are always really difficult, but we just wanted to get justice for this victim because of what she went through. For her to … testify, to go through the investigation, she was so strong. And to get this verdict is all the sweeter because of that. We are just so happy for her. We are just really pleased with the outcome.”

Andrews said after the verdict, “This happened in 2022. So the fact that she stuck with it this long when it seemed like she didn’t have a lot of support, and she really stuck it out, did a lot of work for herself to get to this point.”

Andrews added, that “In the years since I have been doing this, it’s very, very, very common, especially when we get to the point of trial, people don’t want to put themselves through cross examination, the ridicule of going through all of this and especially with the circumstances of this case.”

Thomas gets credit for 442 days spent in jail.

He is now a Tier 3 sex offender and must register his address where he resides after he leaves prison every 90 days for the rest of his life.