40-year-old\u00a0Martin Blake from Glasgow, Montana has been spared jail despite admitting to raping a 12-year-old relative.<\/p>\n
Blake pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the child earlier this year and accepted a plea deal which would have put him behind bars for 25 years.\u00a0Blake originally faced multiple charges of incest rape but agreed to admit to just one as part of his plea deal.<\/p>\n
At Valley County District Court on Friday, however, he was allowed to walk free by Judge\u00a0John C. McKeon who gave him a 30-year probationary sentence.\u00a0Prosecutors had initially suggested he face 100 years imprisonment for his crimes.<\/p>\n
The decision has sparked outrage among the local community, with more than 1,000 residents calling for the judge to be stood down.<\/p>\n
However, at his sentencing hearing on Friday, the victim’s family gave compelling testimony asking that he not be jailed.<\/p>\n
The mother of the 12-year-old said in a statement to the court ‘I do not feel 25 years in prison is necessarily the best way for the defendant to pay for what he has done. The defendant made a horrible choice. He needs help \u2013 not to spend 25 years locked up.’<\/p>\n
The girl’s grandmother said he ought to be spared jail in order not to impact his other children’s lives.\u00a0”What he did to my granddaughter was horrible, and he should face consequences. And I certainly never want it to happen again to anyone…\u00a0But his children, especially his sons, will be devastated if their Dad is no longer part of their lives.’<\/p>\n
Judge McKeon ordered him to 30 years imprisonment with all 30 suspended and told him to register as a sex offender.<\/p>\n
The decision sparked outrage among local residents, hundreds of whom have signed a petition calling to have the judge stood down before his retirement in November.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Judge McKeon issued\u00a0a lengthy statement, insisting that Blake’s community sentence was appropriate and safe. In the statement the judge said\u00a0‘The plea agreement and the pre-sentence investigation report contain detailed recommendations for assuring this safety, all of which were incorporated into the Court sentencing.<\/p>\n As part of his conditions, Blake must hold a job and will not be allowed to come into contact with anyone under the age of 18 without the prior approval of his probation officers and treatment providers.\u00a0Blake will also have limited access to the internet and be given no access to sexual materials.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"