Danny Pilkinton Jr. was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty in Dallas County Circuit Court Friday to a charge of forcible rape in connection with the assault and rape of a 21-year-old woman in 2005. A charge of first-degree assault was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

"I'm happy with it," said Paul Davolt, Polk County prosecuting attorney. "I didn't think he'd take the offer. I thought we got a good deal on the plea."

The victim and her family were at Friday's hearing.

"She made a wonderful statement during the plea hearing," Davolt said.

Pilkinton will not be eligible for parole until 85 percent of the sentence - 21.25 years - has been served. If the case had gone to trial, the maximum sentence on each count would have been life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The woman was a senior at Southwest Baptist University when the incident happened a little after 2:30 p.m. May 4, 2005, on the Greenways Trail south of Aldrich Road.

People in the vicinity of the attack saw Pilkinton and described him to police. He was arrested about 45 minutes later, and the victim picked his photo out of a lineup shown to her at the hospital. During a preliminary hearing Aug. 3, 2005, the victim testified that Pilkinton threw rocks at her, breaking her jaw. She said he then tackled her and twisted her head until her neck broke before raping her twice.

Pilkinton, now 20, was 17 when he was charged.

A trial had been scheduled for Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2008, in Dallas County Circuit Court, where it was moved on a change of venue.

Pilkinton has been in the Polk County jail since his arrest and was moved to the Department of Corrections Monday.