A 46-year-old unemployed truck driver has been sentenced to two life terms for sexually abusing his teenage daughter.
The man, who also hooked his daughter on drugs and allowed his brother and a friend to sexually abuse the girl, urged the judge to give him a chance to rehabilitate himself.But 2nd District Judge Michael Allphin said in court Monday that the man must answer for the damage to his daughter and to his family. "Some irreparable harm has been done," Allphin said.
The man pleaded guilty to first-degree felony counts of sodomy upon a child and distributing a controlled substance to a person under 18. He originally was charged with other felonies but they were dropped in the plea bargain.
His name and that of his brother and friend are being withheld to protect the girl, now 15. She has undergone counseling and drug addiction treatment to help her handle abuse that spanned years.
Before her father was led away to serve his punishment, the 15-year-old victim had some words for him and the court.
"I would like you to know how bad my dad has made my life. He's got me hooked on drugs. He's caused me to attempt suicide . . . he's ruined my life," she said.
"I'm taking back my power now and he's not going to hurt me. No one else is going to hurt me again."
Laura Thompson, the public defender who represented the man, said he's in "dire need of help."
His psychological evaluation shows eight areas of mental health concern, including pedophilia and depression.
The father had previously spent 60 days in jail and three years on probation for sexually abusing the girl when she was 7.
Police say he continued to molest his daughter and introduced her to drugs as an incentive to cooperate with his sexual abuse.
Also charged with abusing the girl was her father's brother, also 46 and of Layton.
According to court records, in September 1995 the uncle offered the girl marijuana in exchange for performing sexual acts in front of a video camera.
On Oct. 14, the uncle pleaded no contest to one class B misdemeanor count of lewdness and one third-degree felony count of distributing a controlled substance. He is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 25.
The girl also was abused by a friend of her father's, who allegedly used pornographic magazines and videos to attempt to arouse her and then performed sexual acts with her.
The 68-year-old Layton man, who has been charged with several counts of child sex abuse, has fled the state, leaving behind $10,000 in bond money and a warrant for his arrest.