PAWNEE COUNTY —A Pawnee County Judge sentenced a Kansas man to life in prison Thursday for an incident involving a 13-year-old in February 2019.
Judge Bruce Gatterman sentenced Roy Gene Hill, 59 of Osage, to life in prison with a requirement he serve a minimum of 40 years prior to becoming eligible for parole, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett. He received an additional 18-month sentence due to the failure to register conviction.
In January, a Pawnee County Jury found Hill Guilty of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child Under the Age of 14 following a three-day trial.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of February 10, 2019, at a residence in Garfield, Kansas involving a 13 year old. Hill was arrested at the scene without incident following a call to 911. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation handled the follow-up investigation. Testimony was presented at trial that Hill was a house guest of the family.
At the time of the incident, Hill was subject to life-time registration due to a previous Aggravated Indecent Liberties conviction for an incident in Neosho County in 2002. Hill previously entered a No Contest plea on December 16, 2021, to Count 2 in the case to a charge of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender with the Pawnee County Sheriff.