'Despicable' dad awaits sentencing
March 27, 2007
Adapted from Cnews.com
A man who infected his 5-year-old daughter with gonorrhea and listened to her "screaming" in agony should be imprisoned, an attorney said.
The prosecutor implored the judge to sentence the 47-year-old father for 8-10 years for his horrific sexual abuse and "profound breach of trust.
"Instead of protecting his child, he victimized a child who is dependent on him. And she was in considerable anguish, she was in so much pain because of the gonorrhea that she was screaming," said the prosecutor.
The father prolonged the girl's suffering by not disclosing she had the same strain of venereal disease, she said.
The father was found guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm and sexual interference in October for the July 2001 attack against his young child. The accused, who now has AIDS and earlier admitted to having occasional unprotected sex with his HIV-infected wife in 2001, was acquitted of aggravated sexual assault endangering the child's life.
He contacted both diseases through unprotected sex. Having sex with his child showed "wanton disregard for his daughter's life," said the prosecutor.
The defense lawyer said the prosecution is asking for an extremely long sentence for a first-time offender, who is now wheelchair-bound and "physically incapable of chasing down and forcing himself upon people.”
"He is no longer sexually active because he doesn't want to pass on HIV to sexual partners. He has become a recluse," said the defense lawyer, who is seeking a conditional sentence of under two years or a reformatory term.
"He has expressed remorse for bringing the disease to his wife and children," although he maintains his innocence to sexual abuse charges.
The judge condemned the accused's conduct as "despicable" but cleared him of the aggravated sexual assault allegation since there was no proof of his HIV status at the time.
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