BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A former spokesman for the Birmingham Police Department has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison on a rape conviction.
A judge sentenced former police Lt. Peter Williston during a hearing on Monday. He received about 21 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing a female relative. Jurors convicted Williston on the charge earlier this year.
Prosecutors say the abuse occurred over a period of several years when the victim was a teenager. The defense claimed the two were engaged in a consenting relationship.
The 50-year-old Williston pleaded with the judge for mercy.