Des Moines, Iowa — A human trafficking victim who pleaded guilty to killing a man she said raped her when she was 15 has again been placed on probation at a residential facility.
Last November, Pieper Lewis cut off her ankle monitor and left a transitional women’s center in Des Moines without permission. Polk County Judge David Porter told Lewis she’s now been convicted of two felony offenses.
Lewis could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham says she agrees with the judge’s decision to keep Lewis out of prison.
The judge did revoke the deferred judgment he issued a year ago. It means two felony convictions will remain on Lewis’ record after she completes five years of probation. The case drew national attention after Lewis was ordered to pay restitution to the family of the man she says raped her. The Iowa Department of Corrections recommended that Lewis be sentenced to prison after her escape.
