FARMINGTON — A 75-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to three suspended prison terms and must serve four years of probation for what the judge described as the “terrible, heinous” beating and sexual assault of an assisted living center resident.

Prosecutor Matthew Hansen of the Davis County Attorney’s Office showed the court a photo of the victim, the lower half of her face bruised a deep reddish purple. Hansen said the defendant, David Scott Watson, “should go to prison” because of the gravity of the crimes, which occurred on March 28, 2021.

Watson pleaded guilty Dec. 21 to first-degree felony aggravated burglary and two counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. In a plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of object rape and aggravated assault.

A Layton police arrest affidavit said the woman called police at about 5:15 a.m. on that Sunday, saying she was awoken by Watson punching her in the face and chest and shouting that he was going to sexually assault her.

She said she fought back against the attacker, who was wearing a dark robe, black work gloves and no shoes.

“After a time of fighting, the suspect tired out,” the arrest affidavit said, adding that the victim had limited movement and was unable to get away.

Watson took off his robe, got on the bed, took off her clothing, removed a glove, told her to touch his penis and he touched her genitals, the affidavit said.

The woman said that after standing up, Watson apparently fainted and struck his head, bleeding on the floor. He then put on his robe and left.

Defense attorney Wayne Caldwell asked Judge David J. Williams to be lenient with Watson. Caldwell said his client lived an exemplary live, with a solid career history and no criminal record. But after a divorce, Watson turned to heavy alcohol consumption.

Watson has health problems and is remorseful, Caldwell added.

“He was blacked out when committing these crimes,” the attorney said.

Hansen challenged that comment, saying that Watson “was with it enough that he wore gloves and disposed of the gloves — this was immediately after the event.”

The prosecutor said Watson broke into the residence of a woman who did not know him, then grabbed her arms, covered her mouth so she had trouble breathing, then hit her repeatedly with closed-fist punches to beat her into submission before the sexual abuse. “This was an incredibly forceful, egregious, violent act,” Hansen said. “He knew what he did and was trying to cover it up.”

According to the arrest affidavit, a Layton police officer arriving at the senior living community at about 5:30 a.m. said he saw an elderly man leaving the center carrying a white trash bag and throwing it into a dumpster of a nearby restaurant.

The man, identified as Watson, had a cut and dried blood on his head, and officers later found a dark robe and gloves in the trash bag.

Williams asked Watson if he had anything to say.

“This was so out of character for me, a very short episode due to alcohol,” Watson said. “I just can’t account for it. Based on the rest of my life, I deserve a second chance, a few years of peace and quiet.”

Watson added, “I apologize to this poor lady. I wish I could go back when I took my first drink that day and not do it.”

Williams called Watson’s actions “a terrible crime. It was a heinous and violent thing, and yet we have the mitigating factors.”

He sentenced Watson to five years to life for the burglary and one to 15 years on each of the forcible sexual abuse counts. He suspended the sentences and imposed a jail term, with credit for time served, meaning Watson was released from the Davis County Jail later Tuesday. He imposed standard probation terms, such as mental health and substance abuse evaluations and cognitive behavioral therapy.

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