BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A man who became known as the “pillowcase rapist” for a string of sexual assaults in the 1980s has been found guilty of failing to register as a sex offender in Bakersfield.

Ronald Feldmeier, 71, will be sent back to prison, where he previously spent 35 years. He won’t get another shot at freedom — he faces a minimum of 25 years to life at his sentencing next month because of the seriousness of his prior convictions.

The jury reached a decision at 9:37 a.m. Tuesday following a week-long trial.

Calling the verdict “fair and just,” prosecutor Leanne Wilder said even those who have spent an extensive time in prison must abide by the law upon their release. She stressed the importance of requiring sex offenders register.

Knowing where they are helps protect the public, she said.

Defense attorney Kyle J. Humphrey said his client’s notoriety, and the prosecution’s unwillingness to consider a plea offer, left them in a difficult situation.

“I think the deck was stacked against us from the very beginning,” he said.

After serving his time, Feldmeier lived where he was told and kept his ankle monitor charged at all times, Humphrey said. There was no criminal intention behind his failing to register — he simply forgot.

Humphrey said Feldmeier was “crushed” by the verdict.

“Nobody deserves 25 to life under these circumstances,” he said.

The rapes that resulted in Feldmeier’s lengthy stay behind bars occurred in Sacramento. He was dubbed the “pillowcase rapist” because he used the cloth to stifle his victims’ screams.

Released in 2019, Feldmeier moved to a facility in Bakersfield, then moved again to a sober living home in the city but didn’t update his registration with the Bakersfield Police Department until 27 days later, when his parole officer told him he was out of compliance.

The law requires a new address be registered within five days of moving.

At trial, Wilder argued Feldmeier intentionally didn’t update his address because he’d been experiencing trouble on the outside when people learned of his crimes.

But even if he simply forgot, she said, that’s not a valid excuse under the law.

A psychiatrist called by the defense testified Feldmeier has moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Humphrey argued that could have played a role in his forgetting to register, adding Feldmeier would never intentionally do anything that would send him back to prison, which was “hell” for his client, who received numerous beatings from other inmates.

In a separate case, Feldmeier faces a kidnapping charge after picking up a woman in June who told police she jumped from his vehicle after he repeatedly refused to stop and let her out. The woman suffered cuts and scrapes police said were consistent with jumping from a moving vehicle.

Wilder said a decision has not been made on whether that trial will proceed in light of Tuesday’s verdict. It currently remains scheduled for next month.