Calif. Man Who Raped 9-Year-Old Girl and Woman — and Blamed Identical Twin Brother — Gets 140 Years

The 9-year-old victim he raped while she was returning home from buying school supplies had to cover herself with her newly-purchased stationery as she escaped, she testified, reports say

Content warning: The following article contains disturbing descriptions.

• Kevin Konther has been convicted of rape and child molestation in connection with three cases, authorities say

• Konther was heard saying in a recorded conversation "I just hate women," The Mercury News reported, citing conversations recorded by police

• A judge called Konther a "sexual carnivore" during his sentencing, per The Mercury News

A man convicted of kidnapping and raping a jogger and a 9-year-old girl in separate incidents as well as molesting a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to 140 years in prison, according to authorities.

Kevin Konther, 57, of Highland, Calif., was arrested in 2019 for the 1995 rape of a 9-year-old and the 1998 rape of a female jogger, according to a February press statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

A jury convicted him of two felony counts of forcible rape, two felony counts of forcible oral copulation, one felony count of a forcible lewd act upon a child and one felony count of a lewd and lascivious act with a minor, the press statement said.

On Friday, he was sentenced to 140 years to life in state prison, the DA's office confirms with PEOPLE.

At the sentencing on Friday, the judge called Konther a “a sexual carnivore,” The Mercury News reported.

“This is like a cat, a lion, a cheetah looking for prey,” the judge said, per the outlet. “Vultures don’t do this to their young, rats don’t do this.”

In October 1995, Konther “grabbed” the 9-year-old girl as she was returning home after buying stationery for school, per the DA’s office statement. He dragged her down an embankment with her face covered before raping her, the statement said.

When the victim pleaded with him not to harm her and disclosed she was only 9 years old, Konther laughed at her, the victim testified, The Mercury News reported.

The child covered herself with her newly-purchased notebooks and pencils as she eventually escaped and reported the attack to her mother, according to the DA’s office.

Almost three years later, in June 1998, Konther attacked a 32-year-old woman while she was out on a jog and dragged her to an isolated area, just as he did in the 1995 attack, per the DA's office statement. Konther, who was naked and wearing just his shoes, escaped after raping her.

DNA recovered from the second attack matched DNA recovered by authorities in the 1995 rape, per the DA’s office.

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Following a 2018 investigation using genetic genealogy, Konther was charged with the two rapes as well as molesting a 12-year-old girl between 1999 and 2003, a pattern of criminal behavior that surfaced during the investigation, authorities said.

DNA evidence led police to Konther, who accused his identical twin brother — who has identical DNA — of the crimes, the press statement said.

Authorities then secretly recorded conversations between the brothers where Konther “revealed multiple incriminating statements,” that also included “admissions that he carried out the crimes,” per the statement.

In these conversations, Konther’s twin brother expressed shock at the crimes, the statement said.

Konther was also caught saying, “I just hate women” and discussing a “chemical imbalance in my brain,” The Mercury News reported, citing the recordings.

“I’ve been fighting that demon for a long time,” he said at one point.

“I’m a criminal in my past. I have serious issues,” he is heard saying in the recording, per the outlet. “Now I’ve got to pay for it, and I don’t want to.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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