-
Danny Ray Weeks
A Shawnee man who in September made a blind plea of guilty on 41 felony charges of sex-related crimes with minors will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
On Monday, Pottawatomie County Associate District Judge Tracy Mc-Daniel sentenced Danny Ray Weeks to multiple life sentences to run consecutively and without parole.
During Monday’s sentencing, 10 victim impact statements were read and Weeks was called as a witness. Arguments were made by both parties.
In September, during his trial on the 41 counts, and after hearing all of his victims testify he entered a blind guilty plea the following morning.
The jury trial was held in Pottawatomie County District Court. Judge Mc-Daniel presided over the trial.
Assistant District Attorneys Lori McConnell and Alison Sells prosecuted the case.
Weeks was represented by OIDS.
Weeks, 52, at the time, was charged in Pottawatomie County District Court on Dec. 15, 2022 with 34 felony counts.
At the conclusion of his preliminary hearing before Special Judge David Cawthon on March 3 this year, Weeks was bound over. His arraignment was held on April 19.
He was bound over to stand trial on 34 counts. Panter amended the charges on March 10 to include seven additional counts against Weeks.
Weeks originally was charged in Lincoln County District Court on Aug. 25, 2022 with five felony charges of lewd or indecent acts to a child, then on Sep. 7, 2022 four more felony charges were filed against him.
Lincoln County District Court records show the state filed a motion to dismiss all nine charges in December, the day after the original 34 were filed in Pottawatomie County District Court against him.
Pottawatomie and Lincoln Counties District Attorney Adam Panter commented following Monday’s sentencing of Weeks.
“The sentencing today was conducted before Associate District Judge Tracy McDaniel, who also presided over the jury trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant DA Lori McConnell with the assistance of Assistant DAAllison Sells. The jury trial began during the September jury term, where the defendant entered a blind plea of guilty to all 41 felony counts of various child sexual abuse allegations, placing the sentencing decision before Judge McDaniel.
“The defendant entered this plea after the trial had already begun, and after each of the five victims testified in front of the jury.”
Panter explained there were five victims in the case being prosecuted, and another victim came forward with propensity evidence that was going to be presented alleging sexual abuse perpetrated by the defendant when she was a child. The case was investigated by the Shawnee Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff s Office.
Panter, continuing his comments, further said, “At the sentencing hearing conducted today in front of Judge McDaniel, Assistant DA Lori McConnell requested the Court to sentence defendant Danny Weeks to the maximum amount of time on each of the 41 charges. After careful consideration of the evidence heard during the trial, along with multiple victim impact statements provided by the victims and their families, a pre-sentence investigation conducted by the Department of Corrections, and the testimony of the defendant, we are beyond pleased that Judge McDaniel then sentenced defendant Weeks to the maximum amount of time for each of the various child sexual abuse charges as requested.
“This includes multiple sentences of life without the possibility of parole, and life sentences, running consecutively, ensuring that the defendant will never be released from prison. This is the result that we believe justice demanded, not just for the victims and their families, but for our community as well.
“The defendant Weeks also testified on his own behalf in an attempt to mitigate his actions to potentially receive a lighter sentence. Rather than showing remorse or asking for forgiveness for his actions, he instead continued to act like a coward, attempting to blame the child victims and their families for his predicament. In contrast to the defendant, the young victims displayed a great amount of courage by repeatedly facing their abuser in court and ensuring that he will never hurt another child again.”
Panter said one of the young victims stated it best in her victim impact statement when she wrote on behalf of herself and the others affected that “this is the end for you and the beginning for us.”
“We hope that this demonstration of resilience will encourage these children, or any others who have suffered similar abuse, to begin or continue the healing process.
“This sentence, along with the results of several other recent cases involving the abuse of children in this district, should serve as a stark warning that this District Attorney’s Office will show zero mercy for those that hurt children.”