Child rapist given 25 yr jail sentence

JAMESTOWN N.Y. (WIVB) - A judge sent a man to prison Monday for a terrifying crime in Chautauqua County.

Eric Chant was sentenced by Judge John Ward to a determinate sentence of 25 years in prison Monday morning. Chant pleaded guilty to first-degree rape in the beginning of his trial.

Chant was on trial for the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old Jamestown area girl , that happened in August of 2011. He was offered a plea deal in part because a Jamestown Police officer involved in this case is accused of tampering with evidence in other cases.

"She was in the living room of the home. He took her out of the home, placed her in a van that he had previously stolen from a car lot and then drove her out to a secluded area in Chautauqua County where he raped her," said District Attorney David Foley. "She was able to successfully escape that apprehension."

Chant will be under supervision for 20 years after his release from prison.