[Vision2020] Sentence Appropriate?

[Art Deco]

When are we going to get a district court judge that takes sexual crimes against children seriously enough to give sentences that promote deterrence and demonstrates to the community that sexual crimes against children are not to be tolerated? 

Thirty days soft jail time and five years of basically meaningless probation is hardly an appropriate sentence for attempting to entice a virtual 13 year-old girl into a sexual encounter.

Who is the greater threat to the well being of the community?  A single offense offender or a judge that gives many lenient sentences?

Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

waf at moscow.com
208 882-7975
Man gets jail time in Internet crime case
Heustis sentenced to five years probation, 30 days in jail
By Christina Lords Daily News staff writer

Posted on: Saturday, June 19, 2010

A Moscow man who pleaded guilty to enticing a child over the Internet was sentenced by 2nd District Court Judge John Stegner to 30 days in jail and five years probation Friday.

Kendall W. Heustis, 40, pleaded guilty to the charge in Latah County District Court in mid-April.

He faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $50,000.

The charge was in relation to an undercover law enforcement sting conducted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Oregon between April and July 2008. The investigating officer was a member of Oregon's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

The officer posed as a 13-year-old girl from Oregon, and Heustis exchanged explicit information through chat rooms and Web cameras with the undercover officer during that time.

"It's been a long two years," Heustis said. "I've learned a lot from it. A lot of things happened because of what I did on the computer, and I'm paying the price for it."

During the sentencing, Michelle Evans, senior deputy prosecuting attorney for Latah County, asked for 10 years probation and a 90-day jail sentence.

"I think that it's appropriate to impress upon Mr. Heustis ... the seriousness of what he did," she said.

Evans said it was fortunate Heustis was chatting with an undercover detective instead of an actual victim during the incidents.

Heustis must register as a sex offender and complete sex offender treatment at Valley Treatment Specialties in Clarkston. 

The computer he used during the enticement incidents, which is in the possession of the Moscow Police Department, must be forfeited, and he is not allowed to use the Internet except for purposes congruent with this probation requirements.

Under the terms of his probation, he is not allowed to be alone with anyone under the age of 18 and cannot frequent any city parks or schools where children may be present.

Heustis is prohibited from consuming alcohol, but Stegner said Heustis would still be allowed to enter some bars to be able to continue playing drums in his band.

He was sentenced to pay $100 in court costs.

Latah County has never pursued an enticement case like this before, Evans said.

Christina Lords can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by e-mail to clords at dnews.com.
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