Rome Hill, 32, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to 30 years in prison following his jury conviction for first-degree rape and use of a firearm.
Hill also was sentenced to five years of supervised probation in Montgomery County Circuit Court Tuesday and must be registered as a sex offender for life.
He was convicted Oct. 19.
Judge Robert Greenberg issued a life sentence but suspended all but 30 years for first-degree rape, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and unlawful possession of a loaded handgun.
According to court documents, Hill sent a friend request and a private social media message Sept. 9, 2020 to the victim. They did not know each other.
They proceeded to message and spoke by phone for the next two days and then met Sept. 11 at the victim’s apartment.
While at her apartment, Hill produced a handgun and raped the woman.
“We thank the victim for her brave testimony during court proceedings, helping to ensure this defendant will not be able to victimize anyone else,” said Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“We would like to remind the public about best practices while dating online. When setting up face-to-face interactions, please meet in a public setting with others around and let a friend or family member know where you are going to be. Maryland Case Search is also a free and publicly available tool to check for criminal history information,” said McCarthy.
