Emporia man convicted of rape appeals nearly 13 year sentence

EMPORIA, Kan. (WIBW) - An Emporia man convicted of raping a woman after holding her and her toddler at knife-point has appealed his nearly 13-year sentence.

KVOE reports that Victor Cardona-Rivera, the man convicted of a 2022 Lyon Co. rape, has appealed his life sentence and other charges.

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Lyon Co. Judge Lee Fowler sentenced Cardona-Rivera to 155 months - 12.9 years - in prison for his convictions on two counts of rape and single counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, aggravated witness intimidation and aggravated burglary.

As part of the sentence, Cardona-Rivera has also been given lifetime post-release supervision.

However, KVOE indicated that defense attorney Rick Meier immediately filed an appeal that cited trial errors.

Cardona-Rivera was found guilty of entering a female acquaintance’s home, threatening her and her toddler child with a knife and then raping her.

Initially, a jury acquitted Cardona-Rivera of one aggravated battery charge and could not reach verdicts on eight other counts. However, a second jury convicted him on the eight remaining counts.