Judge gives rapist 7 life sentences, calls him ‘animal'

ATLANTA — A judge has sentenced a Roswell man to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 270 years for his role in a home invasion, robbery and rape.

The May 2011 incident led to a standoff with police. Tyler Grogan's stiff punishment came Thursday after he cursed in court as the judge prepared to hand down his decision.
 
"I don't need to hear this (expletive)," Grogan told Judge Alford Dempsey.
 
The comment prompted Dempsey to change his sentence mid-course, handing down the maximum possible prison time allowed by law.
 
"Mr. Grogan. You're going to sit here and listen to every word I've got to say," Dempsey told Grogan.  "Whether you want to hear it or not Mr. Grogan, you're an animal."
 
On Wednesday, a jury convicted Grogan on 25 charges, including robbery, rape and kidnapping.
 
Prosecutors said he showed up to the Aspen Point Apartments on Gran Crique Drive looking to buy drugs, and ended up holding a man and a woman hostage in the apartment for hours, repeatedly raping the woman as the SWAT team closed in on the apartment.  At one point, they said he busted through the wall of a neighboring apartment, sending a family fleeing for safety. 
 
"You're shooting at police. You're violating that woman," the judge told Grogan.  "You don't want to hear it? Well, you're going to hear it, and I don't give a rat's behind whether you like it or not."
 
During sentencing, a victim's advocate read a letter on behalf of the rape victim.
 
"The defendant deserves to stay in prison for the rest of his life for all of the trauma he's caused all of the victims, including myself," the letter read.
 
Grogan's defense attorney told Judge Dempsey his client apologizes for the incident and blamed the actions on "demons" Grogan has dealt with since his own mother's murder a few years ago.
 
"I'm sure if he had to do it all over again, things would be a lot different," said Kenneth Schatten.  "He got caught up where life was too much for him and put himself in a situation that got out of hand."
 
After the sentencing, several Grogan supporters could be heard cursing at police, the prosecutors, even the Channel 2 Action News crew covering the hearing.

WSBTV