This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/iowa-kraigen-grooms-sentence.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
No Jail Time in Recording Sexual Abuse of 1-Year-Old After Sexual Abuse of 1-Year-Old, No Jail Time in Sentence for Teenager
(about 1 hour later)
An Iowa teenager who was accused of sexually assaulting a 1-year-old girl while recording it will not serve jail time after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of engaging in a lascivious act with a child. An Iowa teenager who was accused of sexually assaulting a 1-year-old girl while the act was recorded will not serve further jail time after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of engaging in a lascivious act with a child.
A judge this week gave the teenager, Kraigen Grooms, 19, a 10-year suspended sentence and five years of supervised release, according to KTVO, a local television station. He must also register as a sex offender.A judge this week gave the teenager, Kraigen Grooms, 19, a 10-year suspended sentence and five years of supervised release, according to KTVO, a local television station. He must also register as a sex offender.
Some public reaction centered on whether the punishment was strong enough. A man whose Facebook page about missing children and fugitives helped investigators identify the defendant was particularly disappointed. He was released after 860 days in jail when he pleaded guilty in July.
Some public reaction centered on whether the sentence was strong enough. A man whose Facebook page about missing children and fugitives helped investigators identify the defendant was particularly disappointed.
“He needs to be locked up and have some intensive sex offender treatment,” Tim Caya, who runs the Locate the Missing page, said in an interview.“He needs to be locked up and have some intensive sex offender treatment,” Tim Caya, who runs the Locate the Missing page, said in an interview.
There was a similar reaction in local media. “Why is it a first time drug offense is more likely to get you a prison sentence than child molestation?” an Ottumwa Radio commenter asked.There was a similar reaction in local media. “Why is it a first time drug offense is more likely to get you a prison sentence than child molestation?” an Ottumwa Radio commenter asked.
In March 2014, investigators at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement said they believed someone had engaged in unspecified sexual conduct with the girl, who was between 12 and 18 months old, and recorded the encounter on video. Mr. Caya, who lives in Brookings, S.D., created a flier and the post was shared thousands of times, and commenters zeroed in on Mr. Grooms as a suspect. Mr. Caya and other commenters called the police, and Mr. Grooms was arrested the following day. Responding to the criticism in a statement on Thursday, Gary Oldenburger, the county attorney for Wapello County, defended the sentence, presenting Mr. Grooms as the unwitting lackey of child pornographers who tricked him into the assault.
Mr. Grooms, 17 at the time of his arrest but tried as an adult, was initially charged with second-degree sexual abuse, according to The Ottumwa Post. That charge carried a punishment of up to 25 years in prison. By pretending to be a girl his age, then 16, Mr. Oldenburger said, the two men, one in New Orleans and one in Ireland, persuaded the teenager to perform sex acts he wouldn’t otherwise have done. He did not know he was being recorded.
Gary Oldenburger, the county attorney for Wapello County, did not return a phone call seeking comment on Thursday. The prosecutor added that the child was uninjured, no pain was inflicted, and the child was too young to be aware of what was happening.
Mr. Grooms was in juvenile detention and county jail until he pleaded guilty in July, according to Ottumwa Radio. He has been monitored by GPS since his release. “While it is easy for the outside observer to advocate a hard-line stance that every sexual offense against a minor should result in a long prison sentence,” he wrote, “anyone who actually deals with these situations knows that each case is unique and every case must be handled on its own merits.”
In March 2014, investigators at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement sought help from the public in identifying someone they believed had engaged in unspecified sexual conduct with the girl, who was between 12 and 18 months old, and recorded the encounter on video.
Mr. Caya, who lives in Brookings, S.D., created a flier and the post was shared thousands of times, and commenters zeroed in on Mr. Grooms as a suspect. Mr. Caya and other commenters called the police, and Mr. Grooms was arrested the following day.
Mr. Grooms, who was tried as an adult, was initially charged with second-degree sexual abuse, according to The Ottumwa Post. That charge carried a punishment of up to 25 years in prison.
Mr. Oldenburger did not return a phone call seeking comment on Thursday. But in his statement, he said the parents of the victim did not want Mr. Grooms to serve significant jail time and were more focused on him receiving treatment. The prosecutor also said that important witnesses were unwilling to testify, and psychologists said Mr. Grooms was not a high-risk candidate for committing more offenses.
He said a long sentence likely would have been overturned on appeal, with a quick parole. The 860 days he had already spent in jail would have counted toward his time served.
“If Grooms was sent to prison for a long period of time rather than being sentenced to probation, he more than likely would be a greater risk to the community after his release than he will be after serving the sentence he received,” he said.