Man guilty of another sex assault

A man who served 14 years in an Illinois prison for raping a woman in 1981 has been convicted by a Las Vegas jury for the sexual assault of a 49-year-old real-estate agent who was trying to sell him a multimillion dollar house.

The attack on the woman took place in the home of Las Vegas lawyer Robert Bolick, who apparently was duped into believing he was being hired to help broker the home sale, according to Deputy District Attorney Thomas Carroll.

Ralph Jackson, 47, faces the possibility of 13 life sentences on the eight counts of sexual assault. If they run consecutively, parole would not be possible for 130 years.

Carroll said that Jackson visited numerous upscale homes with the real-estate agent, but no offers were made and Jackson never showed that he had money.

On Oct. 22, 1997, the agent went to the lawyer's home to pick up Jackson, who sexually assaulted her there at knifepoint, according to trial testimony.

Jackson was arrested the same day. He claimed the sexual encounter was consensual and the knife was a butter knife he was using to make a sandwich.

Sentencing is March 16.

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