Man sentenced in psych patient rape

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - The 53-year-old man accused of raping a psychiatric hospital patient in 2004 will now spend 2 and a half years to 15 years in state prison.

Dannie Helgeson pleaded guilty in May to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced on June 20.

Helgeson worked at the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital for more than 10 years. Investigators believe in 2004, he had sex three times with the patient over a three- or four-month period.

"It's very disappointing because when you have people in a hospital, you depend upon doctors and employees there to provide good care for you," Kalamazoo Prosecutor Jeff Fink said.

Although the sexual assaults allegedly happened eight years ago , there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute then. Recently, the Kalamazoo police reopened their investigation.