Dad who drove to cliff gets 1-15 years

PROVO — A man accused of felony child abuse after taking his children to the Point of the Mountain, driving his car to the edge of a cliff and then telling the children they were going to "see Jesus" was sentenced to prison Tuesday.

Christopher Young, 36, originally faced three counts of attempted aggravated murder and three counts of felony child abuse stemming from the April incident.

But an eight-person jury was unable to reach a verdict in that case at a November trial, and prosecutors offered Young a deal if he would plead to the three counts of felony child abuse.

Fourth District Judge Steven Hansen sentenced Young to three terms of one to 15 years for the three counts, recommending that Young be given credit for the 260 days he has been in jail and that the three sentences run concurrently.

"This was a terrifying ordeal to these children ... justice for the children is my paramount reason," Hansen told Young during a hearing Tuesday.

Young, who wept during an apology prior to hearing his sentence, was silent as it was pronounced.

"This hurts me every day," he said. "It's constantly living with me. I realize I made a mistake and I am willing to pay."

Defense attorney Richard Gale had asked the judge for probation instead of jail time, arguing that Young does not have a violent history and is not a "career criminal" who belongs in state prison.

Young's actions were those of a distraught man who had been told that morning by his wife that she didn't love him and didn't want to be with him — not those of a violent criminal, Gale said.

Gale added that Young never actually tried to harm the children nor did he intend to.

A pre-sentencing investigation prepared by Adult Probation and Parole had suggested prison time for Young, which prosecutors used as the basis of their argument.

"The factor that screams out in this case is the children," said Deputy Utah County Attorney Donna Kelly. "The children need and deserve to know that they're safe."

Family members painted different pictures of the state of the three children, who were ages 6, 4 and 20 months when the incident occurred. Their mother, Adella Young, has relocated with the children to Texas. She said the older two children are in ongoing counseling and that the eldest child has had recurring nightmares of his father ever since testifying against him in November.

"The biggest fear for them right now is (their father) knowing where they are," Adella Young said.