A Wadsworth, Illinois man who used video games, an Xbox 360 and cash to entice (and ultimately)molest several teen boys has been sentenced to 26 years in prison, a fine and the stigma of having to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Castration wasn't on the table. Twenty-year-old Joseph Wojdyla was sentenced by Judge George Bridges for sexually abusing two boys. Wojdyla committed unspecified sexual acts with a 13-year-old boy during a year-and-a-half period and a second 12-year-old boy. Wojdyla also took inappropriate photos of the two boys and saved them on his cellphone. Wojdyla was 17 when he committed the acts.
According to court testimony, Wojdyla gave the boys video games, an Xbox and cash. He lured the boys to his room where he let them play games, but would make them stop at times and perform sex acts or pose for photos. Wojdyla claimed he was sorry for what he did and knew that he needed to pay for his crimes. He manged to plea bargain his sentence down to a sentencing range of 14 to 40 years in prison. The judge did not have much sympathy for him anyway.
“I messed up their life and I have to pay for it,” Wojdyla tearfully said in court. “I wish I could undo what I have done. I feel remorse for what I have done and I am haunted by what I did.”
He pled guilty to predatory sexual assault of a child and criminal sexual assault. Despite his plea bargain and a tearful apology, the judge imposed a total of 26 years in prison in addition to $4,739 in fines. Wojdyla will also have to register as a sex offender for life after he is release from prison.
The parents of the victims read statements before the sentencing, talking about how their families struggled and suffered since Wojdyla’s arrest in September 2009. The two boys are brothers.
The state had asked the court to deliver the maximum sentence of 40 years.
Source: Chicago Sun Times
Comments
Re: Game Over: Chicago-Area Molester Gets 26 Years in Prison
Take off the glasses, and the guy kinda looks like George Hotz. SUSPICIOUS.
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Re: Game Over: Chicago-Area Molester Gets 26 Years in Prison
Hrm.
I wonder if he would have gotten such a harsh sentance if this was a hetrosexual case. 17 year old with a 13 and 12? Charged as an adult? Yeah he should get in trouble, but I suspect the sentance would have been a lot lighter (though the age gap would still be too large for the failed Romeo and Juliet law to have kicked in).
Though if it was a 2 and a half year period... did it start or end when he was 17? If it ended, that means the two other boys were also in violation of the law. If it started then that would explain the harsh sentance since then he would have been over 18 through part of it (though it would also mean the two other boys would have been over 13, which changes the rules).