FARMINGTON — A Syracuse woman who pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with three teenage boys and sending nude pictures of herself via cell phone was sentenced to a year in jail on Wednesday.
Kimberlee Williams Arigot, 41, previously pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual activity with a minor, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old, and dealing in materials harmful to a minor. All are third-degree felonies.
In exchange for her plea, five charges of dealing in materials harmful to a minor were dismissed.
"I am distressed by the effect this has had on the victims, the victims' families and the defendant's family," 2nd District Judge David Connors told a packed courtroom.
He ruled that Arigot will be eligible for work release privileges (as well as mental health, marital and sex offender therapy) after 90 days. The judge also set a six-month review date for May 25 at which time he will consider a possible early release.
Connors also lifted a ban on Arigot having contact with her own children as long as it is approved by her counselors, but forbade her from having any contact with the victims or any other individuals under age 18.
He also permitted Arigot to report to the Davis County Jail on Monday, giving her the chance to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with her family.
Questions arose early on in the case as to whether there might be a "double standard" regarding male sex offenders and female sex offenders. Connors said he had reviewed all the information available in this case, including a pre-sentence report, a psycho-sexual evaluation report, and letters from individuals.
"It makes no difference to me, the gender of a defendant," the judge said.
He noted reports that indicate Arigot is a low risk for re-offending and said he doubted she would do something like this again. However, Connors noted that her conduct continued for months and Arigot had many opportunities to walk away from what she was doing.
"I want to apologize to the court and everyone involved," a tearful Arigot told the judge. "I am so sorry for what I have done. I hope someday there will be forgiveness from all that were involved."
She had sex with a 15-year-old boy in her home and at a park; had sex with a 17-year-old boy in Clearfield; and performed a sex act on another 17-year-old boy; according to court documents.
Prosecutor Richard Larsen said Arigot also had sent nude pictures of herself to six teens, some of whom were under age 18. He called for a full year in jail, saying that since her confession to police, she has begun to minimize the wrongfulness of her actions. In one report she said, "They kept pestering me and pestering me and I just gave in" and also blamed her own use of alcohol.
Larsen also took exception to characterizing what she did as "a mistake," saying this was not some high school boy's dream scenario, but a series of crimes committed over months that have negative effects on teenage victims.
Defense attorney Ryan Bushell cited Arigot's full cooperation with police and the unsolicited confession to crimes police didn't even know about because "the guilt was eating her up."
He said her husband at first asked her to leave their home, and although they have since reconciled and are in counseling as a couple, she has been restricted as far as seeing her children. She also now realizes she made the biggest mistake of her life and "the shame and the humiliation isn't going to go away with this sentencing."
"Kim doesn't blame these teenage boys, she blames herself," Bushell said.
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