A Del Mar man convicted of raping two women he met on the online dating sites ChristianMingle.com and Match.com was sentenced Friday to 37 years to life in prison.
In his final statement before he was punished, Navy Lieutenant Sean Banks quoted what he said was his favorite Bible verse.
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good," Banks said, noting he would drop his appeal if one of the victims passed a polygraph test.
Banks' words apparently didn't put him in good graces with the judge, who gave him the high end of the sentencing range and denied him probation. A restraining order also will bar Banks from the two victims for 10 years.
In handing down his sentence, Judge Daniel Goldstein expressed dismay that Banks continues to portray an innocent facade and has shown no remorse for his actions. The judge also said he believed the two women gave truthful accounts of the rapes -- which Banks had argued were untruthful.
"He has so much hatred toward women," the judge said, referring to Banks' interview with investigators, where he laid blame on the victims.
Banks was found guilty in June by a San Diego County jury of rape, rape of an intoxicated woman, two counts of forcible digital penetration and residential burglary with intent to commit rape.
Local
During the more than week-long trial in El Cajon, two women – known only as K.K. and R.O. – told the jury Banks had raped them.
K.K. said she met Banks through ChristianMingle.com and invited him to come to her La Mesa apartment for their first meeting on Nov. 21, 2012.
She then detailed how Banks overpowered and sexually assaulted her. The deputy district attorney told NBC 7 the burglary charge stems from Banks dragging K.K. from her living room to her bedroom and raping her.
The second victim, R.O., said Banks raped her in 2009 after they met on Match.com.
Banks’ attorney had argued it was a “he-said-she said” case, but prosecutors at trial had painted Banks as a “very dangerous internet predator.”
K.K. spoke Friday, imploring the judge to give Banks the maximum sentence.
She said she is still healing from the rape, which caused her to spiral into a deep depression.
"Crime became a reality for me that night," she said. "I learned surviving rape can make you feel dead inside."
While she initially told a probation officer she didn't want to send Banks to prison for life, K.K. said Friday she now felt differently.
"I don't want Sean to ever have the opportunity to physically, sexually or emotionally hurt another female," she said.
