Dalton Eberhart, 20, Wilson, was sentenced to almost 30 years in prison June 20 for three counts of Level 1, felony rape involving three different minors.

The crimes took place between June 2019 and May 2020.

Eberhart, who was represented at the sentencing by former Ellsworth County Attorney Joe Shepack, pleaded no contest to the amended charges during a Feb. 5 appearance in Ellsworth County District Court.

When District Judge Steve Johnson, who presided over the sentencing, gave Eberhart the opportunity to speak, he declined.

However, letters addressed to the court from two of Eberhart’s victims were read by prosecutor Melissa Johnson, senior assistant attorney general from the Kansas Attorney General’s office in Topeka.

In the first letter, the victim said “I know I’m going to have to learn to live with this for the rest of my life ... My childhood was taken away from me ... I will not forgive or forget ... There is no excuse for his actions .. I am not a victim, I am a survivor.”

In the second letter, the victim said “I have trust issues now .... I never thought anything like that could ever happen to me.” A parent of one of the victims was in the courtroom and allowed to address the court.

“This man knew exactly what he was doing and he decided to harm her ... He took something from my daughter she will never get back.”

In addition to the 350 month prison sentence, Judge Johnson ordered that Eberhart have post-release lifetime supervision and that he register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

During the sentencing, three officers from the Ellsworth County Sheriff ’s Office, along with Sheriff Murray Marston, were in attendance to keep order. However, Eberhart, and the small crowd of spectators remained silent during the proceeding, which lasted just 30 minutes.

Johnson was assisted in the prosecution by Assistant Attorney General Stephanie Plaschka and Ellsworth County Attorney Paul J. Kasper.

The case was investigated by the Wilson Police Department, the Ellsworth County Sheriff ’s Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.