Codington County judge sentences Watertown man to 70 years for rape of 2 victims

Special to the Watertown Public Opinion
·1 min read

A Watertown man was sentenced to 70 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of First Degree Rape, according to the South Dakota Attorney General's office.

Robert Marlen Hagen, 49, was sentenced Wednesday in Codington County Circuit Court, a release said. He had earlier pled guilty to the two counts involving two victims. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison with five years suspended on each count, according to the release.

The charges occurred between 2022 and 2023.

“I want to commend the bravery of these young victims who came forward to expose these terrible crimes,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley in a release. “Their actions have helped hold this defendant accountable and prevent further crimes.”

The investigation was done by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Watertown Police Department. The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Watertown man sentenced to 70 years after pleading guilty to rape