NORWICH – A man charged with the rape and sexual abuse of a relative pleaded guilty to incest Monday just before jury selection was about to begin in his trial.

Lester Dvonne Elkins, 48, Clinton, N.C., pleaded guilty to incest, a Class E felony, and was sentenced to one to three years in state prison.

If he had faced a jury, Elkins’ original charges were first degree criminal sexual act (a Class B felony), first degree rape (a Class B felony) and incest (a Class E felony).

Elkins was accused of raping a family member at the Super 8 Motel in Norwich in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Dec. 27, 2007 after he and the female spent the night out drinking.

First Assistant District Attorney Stephen M. Dunshee said Elkins was visiting the area for a family reunion during the holiday season when the incident took place. He explained that the defendant and the victim in the case had not seen each other for about six years prior to the night of the incident.

Elkins’ defense attorney James C. Hopkins III of Syracuse revealed that Elkins had no criminal record and that other family members were advocating for him.

Dunshee said one of the most condemning parts of the case was the fact that he was going to call two New York State Police Forensic Scientists to the stand who would have testified that Elkins’ DNA was found inside the victim.