ESCANABA — Two Escanaba residents were sentenced to prison recently after holding a woman against her will and sexually assaulting her.

Dustin Thomas Aker, 29, of Escanaba, was sentenced to 80 months to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to intent to commit sexual penetration. Sydney Ann Horvath, 21, of Cornell, was sentenced to 71 months to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to unlawful imprisonment for her role in the incident.

On Nov. 22, 2020, Michigan State Police troopers responded to OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba for a report of a sexual assault. An investigation revealed the victim was held in a camper trailer at Horvath’s residence for about eight hours. During that time, the victim was threatened with a large knife, strangled and sexually assaulted numerous times by Aker.

Horvath participated throughout the duration of the assault and threatened the victim, as well.

A search warrant was executed at the camper trailer and several items of evidence were taken by police including handcuffs, bed sheets and clothes described by the victim.

Aker and Horvath were arrested in Schoolcraft County. At the time of the arrest, Aker was found to be in possession of multiple knives, including one the victim was able to identify as the knife used to threaten her.

Aker is currently lodged in the Charles E. Egeler Reception & Guidance Center. Horvath is lodged in Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the only female prison within the MDOC system.