A Dodgeville man pleaded no contest Thursday to raping a woman in her East Side apartment last summer.

Walter G. Matthews, 21, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault and burglary for forcing his way into the 31-year-old woman's apartment on July 30 and raping her.

Under a plea agreement reached with prosecutors, three other sexual assault charges and a kidnapping charge were dismissed but can be considered for sentencing by Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser. Three other sex assault counts were also dismissed.

Prosecutors will seek a sentence of no more than 18 years in prison when Matthews is sentenced in about a month. He faces up to 60 years of prison and extended supervision for the rape conviction and up to 15 years for the burglary conviction.

A criminal complaint alleged that Matthews followed the woman into her Fordem Avenue apartment building, then forced her inside her apartment, beat her and raped her.

Homeless man charged with pilfering from frat house ruins

A homeless man was charged with burglary Friday for allegedly scavenging belongings from a burned-out fraternity house on Wednesday night.

Wilkie L. Johnson, 43, allegedly went around a 6-foot security fence surrounding the Sigma Phi Epsilon house, 237 Langdon St., that was destroyed by fire early Tuesday. According to a criminal complaint, after police arrived and ordered him out of the house he was found to be carrying a silver iPod that looked as though it had been damaged by smoke and water.

Johnson was jailed on $500 bail after appearing in court on Friday. Fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, which caused $750,000 damage.