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North Side Rapist gets 120 years

During the hearing, Cook County Criminal Court Judge James Linn heard from Lewis' defense lawyer, Barry Sheppard, and supporters, who said Lewis came from a good family and had no criminal background. But Linn was not swayed.

"Mark Anthony Lewis must be one of those people who simply have a dark and evil side," Linn said before giving him the maximum sentence.

Lewis continued to deny the June 2000 attack in his trial last month even though the victim, now 17, pointed him out three times in court and investigators said they collected DNA evidence tying him to the attack. Even after the other women testified Thursday that he had attacked them, Lewis denied he had anything to do with any of them.

"I am not the man who did this," Lewis said.

Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Angela Petrone said that although prosecutors dropped the charges in three cases, the victims testified to help toughen Thursday's sentence. The other cases did not have evidence that was as strong, some lacking DNA linking him to the crime, she said.

Lewis' lawyer asked for the minimum 48-year sentence. Sheppard said Linn's sentence will amount to life in prison.

Asian-American activists applauded the sentence, but said prosecutors should have lodged hate crime charges against Lewis because seven of the women who were attacked were Asian.

Petrone said hate crimes were charged but prosecutors chose to pursue criminal sexual assault charges, which carry larger penalties.