PROVO — Shelly Erickson didn't hesitate claiming a personal victory Wednesday after listening to a judge sentence an Orem child-sex abuser.
"Basically we won," Erickson said about a judge's decision to sentence Carl Jensen to serve up to life in prison for sexually abusing and sodomizing two female relatives.
"We worked real hard to get here," said Erickson. "I'm just grateful — so grateful — that he's not going to be out hurting children anymore."
According to police, Jensen molested as many as two dozen children at his Orem home, which had a McGruff Safe House sign on its window. The state's statute of limitations prevented prosecutors from filing charges against him for other cases, however.
Jensen has faced charges relating to six children — four family members and two neighborhood children. As part of an October plea deal, prosecutors will not pursue any additional charges.
In June, Jensen was sentenced to serve three years to life for abusing two young girls.
On Wednesday, 4th District Judge Anthony Schofield added a sentence of 15 years to life for sodomy, along with four terms of one to 15 years for child sex abuse.
Factoring in minimal sentence requirements and consecutive sentencing allowances, prosecutor Mariane O'Bryant said Jensen will serve a minimum of 23 years — if not the rest of his life — in prison.
"He will molest again if he gets out of prison," Erickson told Schofield. "Please let this be the end of his career of destruction."
Those pleas were part of a prepared statement Erickson read to Schofield. With three rows of relatives supporting her, Erickson turned to Jensen and addressed him personally.
"You are a liar and a thief," she told the 40-year-old. "You stole the innocence of the children. You pick on children. You are a child predator."
Jensen remained somber as Erickson and one of his victims testified prior to his sentencing. She said she still suffers from the abuse, despite being a grown single mother.
"There's no words to describe to you what kind of life I've had. Nobody will understand unless they are that little child being abused," she said through tears. "He's so threatening to me, and he will be for the rest of my life."
Erickson said that Jensen's sentence brought some relief to the victim, though she will always suffer because "child abuse is a life sentence for the kids," too.
Jensen still faces sentencing for another child-sex abuse charge. An attorney for Jensen hopes to strike a plea deal by a Dec. 17 court date.
Erickson wants Jensen to be given the maximum sentence in that case as well. "Hopefully, he will die in there because he will do it again," she said. "But the real price will be paid at another time."
E-mail: lwarner@desnews.com