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A Craigslist ad marked the beginning of yet another saga involving illegal behavior. Ads appeared last year indicating various employment possibilities, including baby-sitting and photography. But two women, once of them a minor, who responded to the ads say that after they appeared at the man’s house in search of jobs, they were raped. Charges against the man included sexual abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping, child abuse and child prostitution. One alleged victim told police she was drugged, forcibly undressed and then assaulted sexually.
In June of last year, the suspect, a resident of Litchfield Park, pleaded not guilty, and had been held without bond for a period of time. Last week he entered a guilty plea to the child abuse and child prostitution charges. His sentence might surprise you, since it consisted only of six years of probation on the child abuse charge, and three years’ probation for child prostitution. Since the sentences will run concurrently, a total of six years of probation will be the extent of the punishment.
We say the sentence might come as a surprise, in part because the charges carried enormous potential sentences, including kidnapping, a class 2 felony; sexual abuse, a class 5 felony; sexual assault (maximum sentence of 14 years for a first offense); and child prostitution, likely a class 2 felony in this case. All things considered, a conviction on all counts could have led to decades in prison.
So what happened that resulted in what appears to be such a light sentence? We can’t be sure, particularly since none of the specifics regarding the minor or available. But it could well be that there were proof issues of which we are unaware that decreased the likelihood of a conviction on the more serious charges. With regard to the adult woman who accused the suspect of rape, little was reported regarding the details of her charges. On the other hand, it has been reported that in February, she was arrested, along with her husband and a third person, after a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office undercover operation. The charge – bestiality – was for a time widely publicized by the MCSO on its website.
You can be sure that probation was not granted because someone decided to cut the suspect a break. No, this result likely involved some tough proof issues for the prosecutor.
Law Offices of David A. Black
40 North Central Avenue #1850
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(480) 280-8028
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