Man gets prison for battery with intent to commit rape

COEUR d'ALENE - A North Idaho resident will spend up to 15 years in prison for battery with the intent to commit rape.

Rocco Thunderheart Wingfield, 29, pleaded guilty to the crime in August. District Judge Barry McHugh sentenced Wingfield this week to 15 years in prison with parole eligibility after three years.

The charge stems from April, when prosecutors said Wingfield “used force or violence in an effort to have sex with the victim beyond the victim’s consent.”

After his arrest, Wingfield was originally charged with rape, which carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison and a maximum life sentence.

In exchange for Wingfield’s guilty plea, prosecutors amended the charge to battery with the intent to commit rape, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said the victim approved of the plea deal, which was made “in an effort to prevent the victim from being re-traumatized at trial.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, call Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center’s 24-hour hotline: 208-664-9303.