Sentencing ahead for Athens rapist

ATHENS - A 22-year-old man accused of raping three college-age Athens women awaits sentencing after being found guilty in Clarke County Superior Court. <br> <br> Sylvester Deon Collins hid his face in his hands and cried as District Attorney Ken Mauldin read the verdict Tuesday. <br> <br> A jury found Collins guilty of three counts of rape, three counts of kidnapping with bodily injury, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of burglary and a single count of criminal attempt to commit aggravated sodomy. <br> <br> Testimony of three women who were stalked, abducted and raped, and DNA evidence pointed to Collins. The jury -- five men and seven women -- deliberated 90 minutes before reaching a verdict. <br> <br> Dawn Pierce -- a Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist -- testified that the suspect DNA profile she made from abduction rapes in July, August and October 2000 was identical to Collins&#39; genetic profile. <br> <br> Collins initially told a University of Georgia police detective that on separate occasions he had consensual sex with three girls he met downtown. The comments came a day after his November 15, 2000, arrest. <br> <br> Collins -- who remains in custody -- will be sentenced Friday.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193122