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Rapist reportedly asked friend for a gun, help with escape

By Howard B. Owens

A letter shared with Judge Robert C. Noonan by District Attorney Lawrence Freidman makes it pretty clear, Kesean Shannon doesn't want to go to prison.

The jailhouse letter alerts a friend of his possible court dates and asks him to get a woman he knows in court for his appearance.

"Tell her to be ready just in case I have to run," Shannon reportedly wrote. "I need a gun for real."

After entering guilty pleas today to five of the counts against him -- four of them for sexual activity with women who were asleep -- Shannon faces a possible maximum prison term of 15 years.

The guilty pleas were to counts of first-degree attempted rape, first-degree sexual abuse, third-degree incest, first-degree sexual abuse and first degree criminal contempt.

In all, five women were victims of Shannon's crimes, including a blood relative and a woman identified in court today as his fiancée, and who is pregnant with his child.

That woman, whom he contacted in violation of an order of protection, leading to the criminal contempt charge (a felony because of a similar previous conviction), has been allowed to visit with Shannon in jail.

Friedman said his office objected to a City Court judge granting those visits, and even so, Friedman said, Shannon allegedly continuously violated the order of protection by writing letters to the woman.

"If this case had gone to the Grand Jury, we would have sought numerous criminal contempt charges against the defendant," Friedman told Noonan.

The discussion about Shannon's relationship with this woman came up after his attorney, Fred Rarick, asked Noonan not to extend the order of protection for the woman.

The woman does not fear Shannon, Rarick said, and wants to have contact with him.

Friedman argued that the order of protection should stay in place. He said he has a deposition from the woman where she says she does fear Shannon. The order of protection arises from a prior domestic violence case, Friedman said.

Noonan issued the order of protection, pending Shannon's sentencing, at which time, Noonan said, he would review any written request to forego an order of protection from the woman.

The reference to the gun came up while discussing Shannon's bail status.

Rarick sought a bail amount for his client pending his sentencing July 17.

Friedman cited the letter as well as the 22-year-old Shannon's criminal record, previous violations of court orders, the alleged ongoing disregard for the court order with his fiancée (today was the first time he heard of their plans to marry, Friedman said) as well as the potential lengthy prison term.

Noonan ordered Shannon held without bail.

In pleading guilty, Shannon admitted to attempting to rape a woman while she slept in June, 2014, and of sexually abusing women in 2012 while they slept, and of doing so again in October 2014.

George Richardson

Well, he admits to being guilty and a scumbag as charged but I think there are a few bottom feeders in Batavia who can still get his sentence reduced to death.
It aint funny but I aint trying to be funny.

May 25, 2015, 3:42pm Permalink

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