Inman

Man who assaulted Realtor gets 60-year sentence

A man with two prior sexual assault convictions was sentenced this week to 60 years in prison for sexually assaulting a Realtor. On Oct. 23, 2003, Kenneth L. Seay assaulted a Realtor as she was showing him a vacant home in Spartanburg County, S.C., according to local news reports. Seay, 53, was sentenced Thursday for assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal newspaper reported that Seay gave a false name to the agent and posed as a prospective home buyer. He met with the agent twice prior to the assault, and at each visit reportedly told her that he would bring his wife on the following visit. On the third visit, Seay grabbed the Realtor by her hair and pushed her into a back bedroom of the vacant, for-sale home. He pulled out a knife, fondled her and tried to kiss her, according to the news reports.

The Realtor offered him money and Seay reportedly stole $87 from her purse before he left.

Later that afternoon, Seay reportedly met with another real estate agent, though no assault was reported in that meeting. Seay was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1973 and had other convictions for a range of crimes, including escape from prison, possession of contraband by a state prisoner, and purse-snatching, according to a Herald-Journal report.

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