Man sentenced after pleading guilty to 2 counts of statutory rape of a child under 15
SWAIN COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A Swain County man was sentenced to up to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of statutory rape of a child under 15.
Travis Ray Nations pleaded guilty in Swain County Superior Court on July 27, according to an Aug. 3 news release. He was sentenced to a prison term of between 18 years and 26 years and eight months.
According to the release from the Swain County Sheriff's Office, the two counts of statutory rape of a child under 15 were two separate offenses.
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Two survivors addressed the court through victim impact statements during the sentencing proceedings. One provided an oral statement in person, while the other submitted a handwritten statement, the release said. The news release said the victim impact statements describe the emotional, physical and/or financial effects survivors suffered as a direct result of a crime.
Superior Court Judge Tessa Sellers sentenced Nations to the prison term in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
According to court records, the first offense occurred Feb. 1, 2017. The second offense occurred Aug. 1, 2020, according to an amended judgment entered in Swain County Superior Court. Each conviction is a Class B1 felony and is reportable under North Carolina sex offender registration laws, the release said.
The court determined that Nations had no prior record points, placing him at Prior Record Level I. Nations received credit for 1,541 days already served in confinement. Sellers recommended that Nations enroll in and complete the Sex Offender Accountability and Responsibility program, known as SOAR, if and when it is available.
Nations was ordered by the court to register as a sex offender for 30 years.