Ex-Deacon Gets 8 Years In D.C. Prostitute Assault

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former deacon from Maryland has been sentenced to eight years in prison for attempting to sexually assault a prostitute at gunpoint.

Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the sentence for Colin Hatch, 27, of Capitol Heights, Md., who pleaded guilty in March to attempted first-degree sexual abuse and possessing a firearm during the commission of the crime of violence.

At the time of the offense in 2007, prosecutors say Hatch was applying to become a police officer in Baltimore. A jury later found Hatch guilty of several offenses, but part of that verdict was set aside on appeal.

Hatch acknowledged picking up the prostitute and agreeing to pay for sex, but when she demanded payment upfront, he pulled a gun and demanded sex for free.

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