Ex-UW-Madison student, Edina native sentenced to 3 years for sexual assault

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A judge has sentenced a former University of Wisconsin-Madison student who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three female students and choking or stalking two others to three years behind bars. 

WKOW-TV reports Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke sentenced 22-year-old Alec Cook of Edina, Minnesota, on Thursday to three years in prison and five years of extended supervision. 

Cook faced a maximum 40-year sentence. Prosecutors were seeking 19 years.

Ehlke said he had to give Cook credit for having no criminal record, no bail violations and sparing the victims a trial.

Cook was initially charged with more than 20 crimes nearly a dozen women, including misdemeanor disorderly conduct and felony sexual assault for incidents between September 2014 and October 2016.

Cook was expelled from UW-Madison in June 2017.