A 23-year-old Littleton man was sentenced to 40 years in prison earlier this week for sexually assaulting a woman in her home in the early morning hours of June 26, 2009. 

Ryan Ray Iliff said he had a fight with his girlfriend that night and then got drunk.  He drove into a residential neighborhood in south Jefferson County equipped with duct tape and rope in a backpack. 

Iliff, a registered sex offender, failed at his first attempt to break into a house -- he pried out window screens, cut the phone line and attempted to pry the metal security bar out of the track of the sliding glass door. Iliff then went to the house next door and was able to get in. The 59-year-old woman who lived there awoke in her bed to Iliff clasping his hand over her mouth. 

After Iliff sexually assaulted the woman, he ran from the house. He was able to elude authorities until July 17 when he was arrested by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Criminalists with the Sheriff’s Office were able to find three fingerprints left by Iliff the night of the sexual assault that were suitable for comparison. They were able to match one of the fingerprints taken from Iliff in a prior arrest.

"The victim in the case showed extraordinary courage,” said DA Scott Storey. "She has serious health issues that have been exacerbated by the trauma of the sexual assault. In this case, with her in full agreement, we let the defendant plead guilty to avoid going to trial and having to put the victim through that difficult process.”

Iliff pled guilty on January 4 to Kidnapping with Sexual Assault, a class two felony; Attempted Sexual Assault, a class five felony; and First Degree Criminal Trespass, a class five felony. He faced an agreed upon range of from 16 to 56 years in prison. Iliff was sentenced on February 16, 2010.