NORTHAMPTON — A South Carolina man was sentenced Tuesday in Hampshire Superior Court to 4 to 6 years in state prison for raping a woman in Northampton in 2014.
Christopher Hoime, 53, of North Myrtle Beach, was found guilty of a single count of rape in a November jury trial and was sentenced by Judge Richard Carey. He was credited with 116 days of confinement.
The crime took place following a night out in Northampton during which Hoime drugged the victim, according to prosecutors.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl recommended a sentence of 6 to 8 years in state prison, stating Hoime was particularly cruel toward his victim.
“He preyed on her vulnerability; he preyed on her incapacity,” Suhl said.
In a victim impact statement, the woman stated that she had contemplated suicide because people had not believed her about the rape. The Gazette generally does not identify victims of sexual assault.
“If somebody has to drug a woman so that he can have sex with her, he’s already lost at life,” said the victim, who described herself as a “fighter” for testifying against Hoime.
Suhl said there were no mitigating factors for Hoime, that he had led a relatively good life, but has not taken responsibility for his actions.
“His actions are horrific,” Suhl said. “They deserve to be punished and they deserve to be punished harshly.”
Hoime’s defense attorney, Korrina Burnham, asked for a sentence of 2 to 3 years to be served in jail. She noted the letters the court had received on behalf of Hoime, as well as people in the courtroom supporting him.
“The support that I’ve seen for Mr. Hoime after his conviction is really, in my opinion, singular,” Burnham said.
Burnham said that the crime “is out of character for Mr. Hoime,” adding that he’s always been “meek,” “docile,” “caring,” and “non-violent.” Hoime sobbed heavily as he awaited sentencing, his head bowed.
Burnham said that Hoime has not “tolerated incarceration well” citing both medical issues and his emotional and psychological well-being.
Judge Carey recommended that Hoime serve his sentence at the Hampshire County jail, although this recommendation is non-binding.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.