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WARREN -- A Niles man who pleaded guilty in May to four felony sex charges dealing with the rape of a 13-year-old in December was sentenced Wednesday to consecutive prison terms totaling 22 to 27.5 years.
Frank Mack Smith Jr., 35, of Cherry Avenue, pleaded guilty May 27 to two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of fourth-degree gross sexual imposition. Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean O'Brien said it was "one of the worst crimes he's ever seen."
"You have violated the most sacred of trusts. If I could have given you a life sentence, I would have," O'Brien told Smith.
Because the victim, who is related to Smith, was older than 12, a life sentence was not an option under current state law, according to the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office.
Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman recommended consecutive, indefinite sentences of up to 31.5 years.
Smith also was declared a Tier 3 sexual offender, which requires him to register his address with the county sheriff's office four times per year for the rest of his life.
The offenses took place around December 2025 and were investigated by Niles police. Smith has had three previous prison sentences -- in 2010 for an aggravated robbery conviction and two escape felonies because of violations of parole, prosecutors said.
According to the sentencing memo written by Wildman, head of the prosecutor's child assault division, "consecutive sentences are necessary to protect the public from the defendant and to ensure adequate punishment."
Wildman wrote the harm caused by these offenses was so great or unusual that no single prison term adequately reflects the seriousness of Smith's conduct.
"During the assaults, when Smith asked if he was hurting the victim, he responded by having her turn on the television so no one could hear her cries, covered her mouth with his hand and continued forcibly penetrating her," Wildman wrote. "The reason he stopped was simply because he saw what time it was and realized he needed to go to church."
The victim wrote a letter to the judge discussing the impact of these offenses.
Smith has been in the Trumbull County jail since his arrest on a $350,000 bond.