27-Year Sentence in Rape of Transgender Man

A St. Paul, Minn., man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for the rape and robbery of a transgender man.

Demetrius Jermaine Miller (pictured), 33, was sentenced Thursday by Ramsey County judge Rosanne Nathanson, who also ordered that Miller register as a predatory offender for the rest of his life, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Last month a jury found him guilty of first-degree aggravated robbery and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Miller had met the victim, who was born biologically female but identifies as male, late in the evening of May 18 at a St. Paul gas station, where they shared a cigarette. The victim then reportedly offered Miller marijuana, and they went behind the station to smoke it, at which point Miller began beating the victim. Miller also began to undress the victim to gain access to the man's iPod, phone, and cash, and seeing that the victim had female genitals, Miller raped him.

Miller claimed the sex was consensual and the victim's idea; Miller said he agreed to it in order to commit the robbery. During the trial, one of his defense attorneys contended that the victim filed the rape charge to get back at Miller for the beating and robbery. Miller later claimed both of his attorneys were ineffective and fired them, representing himself at the sentencing hearing.