The 17-year-old rape victim was in court Wednesday as her attacker was sentenced, but the teenager chose prosecutor Kaarin Long to read her statement:

"It's difficult to imagine the logic behind any sexual assault," the letter said. The attack "changed my life and my family's lives forever. ... This is a day I will never forget."

Shortly thereafter, Ramsey County District Judge Diane S. Alshouse sentenced George A. Walker, 20, to almost 17 years. He must serve at least two-thirds of that in prison and the remainder on supervised release. The judge also ordered him to serve an additional 10 years on conditional release and to register as a predatory offender for the rest of his life.

Walker pleaded guilty in March to first-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to the charges, the victim first saw Walker watching her house in the 600 block of Jessamine Avenue from across the alley, where he lived with his boyfriend. About a half-hour later, she said, he forced his way into her house, choked her and raped her. She had tried to call 911 when he arrived, she told police, but he grabbed the cell phone and eventually left with it.

That phone led to Walker's arrest after he called the victim's sister with it to invite her to a "house party" and was found with the phone at the party, the complaint said.

Walker told the judge before sentencing, "I didn't mean for it to go this far so I guess I have to face the consequences."

"Do you remember doing this?" the judge asked.

"A little bit," Walker replied.

At his plea hearing March 10, Walker said he is taking medication for depression.

PAT PHEIFER