Saying it would accomplish as much as the 48-year term sought by the prosecution, a judge has sentenced a 57-year-old child molester to a minimum 13-year prison term.
Richard Eugene Jones pleaded guilty last month before 2nd District Judge Ronald O. Hyde to two counts of sodomy of a child and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.In return for the plea, another sodomy count and a charge of rape of a child were dismissed. All are first-degree felonies carrying minimum-mandatory prison terms.
The charges involved two pre-teenage girls. Jones took pictures of the girls in suggestive poses and photographed himself participating in sex acts with them.
On Thursday, Hyde sentenced Jones to two concurrent terms of 10-years-to-life on the sodomy counts and two concurrent 3-year-to-life sexual abuse charges.
Deputy Weber County Attorney Kristine Knowlton had asked for the terms to be imposed consecutively and wanted the judge to impose 15 year minimum-mandatory charges on the sodomy charges.
"What's even more aggravating to this case is he admits to his participation, but he blames the children," she said. "He says they threatened to tell their mother if he didn't show the pornography. He says they threatened to tell their mother if he did not allow the sexual abuse to occur."
Hyde said the 15-year minimum-mandatory terms are reserved only for the heinous child sex crimes.
"The photos are sickening . . . but the 13 years will accomplish just as much as what 48 years would in this case."
Knowlton pointed out that Jones had been investigated in 1981 for child sexual abuse. The charges were pursued because he promised to undergo treatment.
"Obviously that failed," she said.