In what prosecutors are calling the longest sentence ever imposed in Oklahoma County, a jury on Wednesday sentenced an eight-time convicted felon to 30,000 years in prison.

The jury's foreman, Laura Bixler of Del City, said jurors had a purpose in the sentence. "All of us have read in the paper about early release. We've seen too many instances of it.

"We can't control what happens on Dec. 22 with the (formal) sentencing or what the Pardon and Parole Board may do, but by God we can send a message to the offender that we are not going to tolerate it. ... We don't want him to have a chance of ever getting out again. " The jury deliberated 35 minutes before finding Charles Scott Robinson, 30, guilty of rape by instrumentation, two counts of forcible oral sodomy and three counts of indecent or lewd acts with a child under 16.

Jurors sentenced Robinson, accused of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl, to 5,000 years on each count. The minimum sentence the jury could have imposed was 20 years on each count.