Bolivar man sentenced to prison for rape

A Bolivar man was sentenced Friday to serve at least four years in prison for the rape of a 17-year-old girl.

Joshua Shirey, 27, was convicted in June of rape for an attack on the teenager at his parents' home in Bolivar.

His accuser, now 20, claimed Shirey forced her onto a couch, punched then raped her before retreating to an upstairs room.

According to her testimony during the three-day jury trial, the victim told police about the rape in February 2007, the same day she claimed Shirey attacked her in a parking lot at Laurel Valley High School in St. Clair Township, where he hit her in the stomach and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the previous sexual assault.

In court yesterday, the girl said she still suffers the emotional scars from the assault.

"After that day I became suicidal," she testified yesterday during Shirey's sentencing hearing.

Shirey offered no apologies yesterday and defense attorney John Ceraso said his client still maintains his innocence.

Westmoreland County Judge Richard E. McCormick Jr. sentenced Shirey to serve four to 12 years in prison and two years on probation.

"You decided you wanted something here and you specifically took violent steps necessary to take it. Today is the day of reckoning," McCormick said.