HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local man convicted of sex crimes and serving a 22 ½ year sentence saw that sentence go down to 14 years in prison Wednesday.

Robert Dwerlkotte was sentenced by District Judge Tim Chambers, who called him a persistent sex offender, for convictions of aggravated burglary and aggravated sexual battery.

Dwerlkotte broke into his ex-wife’s home and laid down on the floor beside her bed while she slept. He then jumped on top of her when she woke up, held her down and tried to convince her to have sex.

The defendant filed an appeal over the scoring for his criminal history at sentencing where he had been sentenced for burglary of a dwelling. The appeals court ruled that his criminal history score was improper even though the state had put in the complaint that the burglary involved a dwelling. So, his case came back to District Court for re-sentencing on that issue.

Even with the lower sentence, that doesn’t mean he’ll be set free at the end of that sentence. There is apparently a hold where he could be deemed a sexually violent offender. That would extend his time in custody.

He already served time in prison for the burglary and a conviction for sexual exploitation of a child.