Former Whitewood Police Chief sentenced

69-year old Ben Koens, former Whitewood police chief was sentenced to 15 years in prison with five suspended after earlier pleading guilty to sexual contact with someone under 16. Koens was originally charged with two counts of first degree rape but reached a plea agreement with prosecutors back in November. The incident happened somewhere between August of 2015 and May of last year in Butte County. Koens was also originally charged with two counts of first degree rape in Lawrence County as well and pleaded to sexual contact with a person under 16 there in June. Koens will be sentenced and could face another 15 years in prison on those charges today in Deadwood.