BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) -- A 67-year-old man accused of raping a 16-year-old boy twice in the mid-1990s has been convicted.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that a Gallatin County jury on Thursday found John Brandon Lacey guilty of two counts of rape. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 10.
Lacey says his sexual relationship with the boy was consensual and he never forced sex on the teen. The age of consent in Montana is 16.
The victim and another man, who says he also was sexually assaulted by Lacey, reported the case in 1997 -- a few years after the encounters. But Lacey had gone to Mexico to receive cancer treatment even though he was never diagnosed. He was arrested in Arizona in 2007.
Prosecutors say the case is about a violation of power and trust, but the defense argued the victim exaggerated the details because he was ashamed of his behavior. The victim testified he had consensual sex with Lacey on other occasions.
