[Vision2020] Sentence Appropriate?

[Tom Hansen]

Stegner?

Seems I heard that name before.

Wasn't he the presiding judge in another case involving a serial pedophile
and another plea agreement . . .

http://www.tomandrodna.com/CR_2005_02027/Plea_Agreement.pdf

Oh, yeah.  That's him.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

> 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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