NORWICH – An accused rapist appeared in county court Friday, one of the first in the area to answer to a new sex offender law.

Lance J. Mills, no age given, Columbus, is charged with first degree rape (B Felony) and predatory sexual assault (A-II Felony).

Mills, who is a registered sex offender, is among the first in the state and the first in Chenango County to face a tough new law aimed at severely punishing violent repeat sexual offenders, said Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee.

Mills is a registered sex offender with a prior conviction of first degree sexual abuse in 1997. The predatory sexual assault charge is the result of that prior conviction. Mills, if convicted of the latest charges, could spend the rest of his life in prison.