A judge sentenced a man to nearly 50 years in prison after he dragged a teenage girl into a downtown Leavenworth alley during a kidnapping almost a year ago, officials said.

In April, a jury found 38-year-old Lajuan Sammie Louis Lowery guilty of aggravated kidnapping and acquitted him of a separate charge of aggravated sexual battery.

After denying defense motions, including requests for a new trial and an acquittal, Leavenworth County District Judge Gerald Kuckelman on Thursday sentenced Lowery to 48 years and 10 months in prison.

Kuckelman also ordered Lowery to serve three years of supervised release after serving his sentence. Lowery is also required to register as a violent offender, according to a news release from Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.

“This is one of the

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