Sentencing For Russell Lee Engleman

I like to make a very clear distinction on this blog between consensual sex and rape, assault, and molestation. I previously blogged about the superfluous charges against Russell Lee Engleman, who should have been put away for the rest of his life for the other charges; for what he did to minor children. Unfortunately, the sentencing was relatively light.

Briseno then sentenced Engleman to 15 years to life, plus five years, eight months, and noted that it was likely that Engleman would be in prison at least until he was 70 before he would be considered for parole.

So he may be paroled, unfortunately.

Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown asked for a minimum sentence of 30 years to life for Engleman, arguing that he violated a position of trust as the boyfriend of the mother of one of his victims, had used his own daughter to assist in molesting one of the victims, and had showed a "callous disregard" for all of his victims.

A five-man, seven-woman jury deliberated for a day and a half before finding Engleman guilty in January of nine counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14, three counts of using young girls for pornographic purposes, and one count of possession of child pornography for images found on his computer. He was also convicted of several penalty-enhancing allegations of substantial sexual conduct and committing crimes against multiple victims. Brown argued that Engleman engaged in continuously sexual abuse with one of his victims from the time she was 9 until she was 13. He molested the second victim – daughter of a friend – over a three-year period by inviting his friend to visit with his daughter at the auto repair shop.

Scummy guys like this should be the ones populating prisons. Not people who stick to sex with consenting adults. It is insulting to equate loving relationships, experimentation, or casual play between close relatives with what this monster was doing.