A former Wichita State University graduate student will spend nearly 13 years in prison for raping a woman inside a campus science lab.

Sedgwick County District Judge Jeff Syrios sentenced Mohamed Barkat Mia, 31, to 155 months on Wednesday, Oct. 7, rejecting defense requests for a new trial and probation, the Wichita Eagle reported.

The assault happened Nov. 4, 2024, inside a lab in McKinley Hall on the WSU campus. The victim, a woman in her 40s, was not a student or employee at the university. According to a probable cause affidavit cited by the Eagle, she was an ex-girlfriend of Mia's who was visiting Wichita from out of state for work.

The affidavit says the woman had maintained periodic contact with Mia since their breakup years earlier and asked him to catch up over dinner while she was in town. Mia insisted she meet him first on campus, where he worked as a graduate research assistant in the chemistry program.

The woman told police Mia escorted her to the lab, began talking about sex, then locked the door, turned off the light and assaulted her, according to the affidavit. She said she refused, but he forced her to engage in sex acts. He then told her he did not want dinner and needed to finish lab work.

Campus police took a report four days later. Mia was arrested at WSU on Nov. 11, 2024, KSN reported.

In a police interview, Mia claimed the woman voluntarily submitted to at least one sex act. He told police he understood the law and that the woman had said no. But he "did not think … (she) meant it," according to the affidavit. He described the encounter as permissible because she had invited him to dinner and they had previously dated.

A Sedgwick County jury found Mia guilty of one count of rape in July but acquitted him of two other sex charges.

Before sentencing, Mia's attorney asked Syrios for a new trial. The lawyer argued Mia had only a few years of experience with English and struggled to communicate during a recorded police interrogation shown to the jury.

The defense also sought probation, arguing in a court motion that Mia had no prior criminal history and had a reasonable belief the victim was consenting. The motion argued the "interest of the public and the victim could be best served if he were … deported now" since his student visa had expired.

Syrios denied both motions.

WSU confirmed in November 2024 that Mia was an enrolled student and graduate assistant at the time of his arrest, according to The Sunflower, the university's student newspaper.

Anyone affected by sexual assault can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online at rainn.org.