Barnes to serve eight years for rape

The man who bound a teen-age girl hand and foot with duct tape and raped her at Rock Island back in 2004 will serve eight years in prison.

The defendant, Bruce Barnes, 40, entered a no-contest plea Wednesday before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to the charge of rape and was directed to serve eight years at 100 percent, meaning he will not be granted early release through parole. Barnes was also ordered to be placed on the state?s sexual offender registry where he will remain for the rest of his life.

The crime, which led to Barnes? penitentiary sentence, happened in the Spring of 2004 and involved a 16-year-old female family acquaintance. Investigators revealed Barnes used the trust the girl had in him when he picked up his victim in his truck, taking her to King?s Landing boat ramp at Rock Island in the early evening hours under false pretenses. Upon arriving at the deserted ramp, Barnes bound the girl hand and foot before raping her inside his truck. He then returned the girl to her home, warning her not to reveal what happened. The girl disregarded Barnes? warning and reported his actions immediately, sparking an all-points-bulletin for his arrest.

Barnes fled Warren County after committing the crime, slipping a large-scale manhunt here immediately after the rape. He was captured a few months later in a suburb of Atlanta, Ga. He was recognized by drug officers who were conducting an undercover sting there. They then did a background check and discovered he was wanted for rape in Warren County.