FARMINGTON — Despite recommendations to the contrary, a judge Tuesday sentenced retired Layton police officer Thomas Ray Gibbons to serve up to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl earlier this year.
Gibbons, 48, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed two other charges of forcible sex abuse and one count of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony.
Prosecutors allege Gibbons molested the now 15-year-old girl over a four-month period, beginning in January of this year.
Gibbons, who retired more than five years ago after 16 years as a school resource officer for the Layton Police Department, was the girl's Primary School teacher and also the family's home teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"We loved and trusted this man and he betrayed us," the girl's mother told 2nd District Judge Rodney S. Page. "No one will ever understand the pain, emotional trauma and damage inflicted on our entire family because of this crime."
The girl said Gibbons pretended to love the girl in order to commit the crime.
"I really loved him and trusted him, and he wanted it that way so he could take advantage of me," she said.
Page ignored pleas from defense attorney Bradley Rich and therapist Carlos Roby that Gibbons serve minimal jail time and remain in sex offender counseling.
Roby testified that while punishment is an important part of therapy, prison would be a setback in Gibbons' treatment. The lack of resources for continued treatment would render Gibbons a "fairly substantial" risk for re-offending, Roby said.
But Page said Gibbons' position of trust and friendship within the community, as well as the fact that the crime took "considerable planning and manipulation," warrants a stricter sentence.
"You have violated all of those trusts," Page said. "You've taken from her an innocence that can never be restored."
Following the hearing, Rich said the concurrent sentences of one to 15 years "serve no purpose."
"I really believe that therapy harbors the only hope for these people," Rich said.
While still with the Layton Police Department, Gibbons was investigated on similar allegations involving a different victim. Rich said no charges were filed in that earlier incident.
E-mail: awelling@desnews.com