Former student gets 5 years for sex assault

A 26-year-old former Kansas University student received a roughly five-year prison sentence on Friday for a May 2005 sexual assault on an acquaintance at his home in northwest Lawrence.

District Court Judge Robert Fairchild sentenced James F. Auten to 41 months in prison for aggravated sexual battery, 12 months for aggravated battery and 12 months for aggravated assault – a total of 65 months.

The victim alleged that he raped her, stole her phone and held her in a bedroom at knifepoint at his home in the 800 block of Fieldstone Drive.

He initially was charged with rape but entered a plea to the lesser charge of aggravated sexual battery. Auten also was sentenced Friday to 12 months in custody for a third-time driving under the influence charge, but he was allowed to serve that sentence at the same time as his prison sentence.

“Hopefully he will receive treatment and come out with a new attitude,” Fairchild said in court.