ATHENS, Ohio — A Chillicothe man was sentenced to at least 23.5 years in prison on Wednesday for raping two women in 2018 and 2019.
Grant Sims, 25, was found guilty in an Athens County court on two counts of rape last month.
The first woman Sims raped was in October 2018 after the two met at a bar.
The second rape happened with a woman in May 2019 when the two kissed, but when she wanted to leave, Sims made excuses to keep her there and the acts turned sexual. After that incident, Sims stole the victim's credit card and later used it to purchase personal items.
Athens County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Liz Pepper argued for the max sentence, citing the seriousness of the offenses along with how lack of remorse Sims showed in court.
“It’s been all about what Grant Sims wants, not about anything else,” Pepper told the court. “Grant Sims doesn’t think about what he’s done to these women. He doesn’t care. He isn’t remorseful. He only thinks about himself.”
The two victims spoke in court during Sims' sentencing, with the first woman saying she used to be trusting of everyone, but not anymore.
“No means no. You know what you did. All you do is lie to people…You lie so much that you’ve convinced yourself you’ve done nothing wrong. You had no idea who I was at all, but you were so sick and twisted that all you cared about was yourself," the first woman said.
The second woman said Sims' actions would not destroy her.
“I want it to be clear that you did not ruin my life. I’m still growing from this and learning how to deal with everything that happened, but you did not ruin my life. I don’t want you to have that satisfaction," the second woman said.
Judge Patrick Lang sentenced Sims to 11 years in prison for each count. Lang also sentenced Sims to a year in prison on related charges of theft and identity fraud.
The Reagan Tokes Act requires the option of an additional five and a half years to be added to the sentence. If added, Sims will spend 29 years in prison.
Sims must register as a Tier III sex offender and is subject to five years of mandatory post-release control.
