Valhalla man sentenced to 20 years to life in rape cases

A homeless man responsible for a string of violent sex assaults and robberies in Yonkers was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years to life in prison.

In January, 38-year-old Akhim Blount, of Valhalla, pleaded guilty to numerous charges of rape, sexual abuse and robbery stemming from attacks on three women in 2015.

The attacks were on a 57-year-old woman on Belmont Avenue, a 37-year-old woman on Bronx River Road, and a 22-year-old woman at the Cross County Shopping Center.

Investigators say Blount's life of crime started well before the incidents. A year before the rapes, he was released from prison after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence for raping an 8-year-old girl.

Blount refused to show up in court Tuesday, but the judge still sentenced him. His lawyer said that Blount plans to file an appeal.