A Springville woman told 4th District Judge Guy R. Burningham Wednesday that her 4-year-old son will not sleep alone and asks her daily if the "bad man" is coming back.
She said the "bad man" is Jeremy M. Hanks, 19, who was before Burningham to be sentenced on a charge of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary. The charges stem from the 1989 kidnapping and rape of another Springville woman. Hanks, who was the subject of a manhunt in August when he escaped from the Utah County Jail, is currently serving a one-to-15-year sentence at the Utah State Prison for robbing an Orem jewelry store.Burningham added at least 10 years to Hanks' prison term by sentencing him to a minimum-mandatory term of 10 years to life for the sexual assault charge and five years to life for the burglary charge. He ordered the sentences to run concurrently, but consecutive to Hanks' current term.
The woman and prosecutors wanted Burningham to follow the recommendation from Adult Probation and Parole, which said Hanks should go to prison for at least 21 years before he is a candidate for parole. Utah County Deputy Attorney Phil Hadfield said Hanks has a history of sexual violence and intimidation.
"He started young and he's continued that activity right into adulthood," Hadfield said.
The woman said Hanks ruined her and her son's lives. She said Hanks broke into her home, hit her on the head with a gun and held her hostage for 20 minutes while he sexually assaulted her. Her son watched the entire ordeal.
"My son spent most of that time looking at Mr. Hanks and asking him if he was going to kill his mother," the woman said. "He was just a baby and now his childhood has been taken away."
Gary Weight, Hanks' attorney, said the woman's testimony shouldn't be considered because it did not involve any of the cases to which Hanks pleaded guilty, but one he later told police about. He said his client was only 14 years old when he committed the crimes and, had he been sentenced then, he would not have gone to prison. The recommendation from Adult Probation and Parole would not allow Hanks a chance for rehabilitation, he said.
"It is unfairly and unduly harsh," Weight said.
A weeping Hanks told Burningham that he has done some terrible things and wasted most of his youth. He said he doesn't want to waste the rest of his life in prison.
"I believe if given a chance I can do something with myself so I hopefully can give back a little bit of what I've taken from people," Hanks said.
In being a little more lenient than the presentence recommendation, Burningham said he wants Hanks to be punished, but wants him to have a chance for rehabilitation.
"I just hope that you can turn your life around," he said.
When Hanks' mother was leaving the courtroom, she turned to the woman who testified and to Springville police detectives and said, "I hope you're proud of yourself." In the hall, she continued to complain that her son's friend was an accomplice in the crimes but was let off because he was willing to "snitch."