Here is the reasoning Marjorie.

When sentencing guidelines are considered, the crime is looked at. This type of crime typically is associated with other behavior that isn't charged such as "roughing up the girls occasionally" or other behavior perhaps such threatening their girls if they were caught trying to leave.

That extra behavior was absent in this case. Given this it only stands to reason that the sentence might be less, since the crime was less.

NOw do you get it?

While I agree that beating up girls is worth extra time being added to the sentence, the guy was SELLING underage girls. Some of his CUSTOMERS could be up for longer sentences.

I, too, was surprised at the judge's decision, but I thought the reporter who reported the judge's decision must have misunderstood it.

However, with the clarifications that Marjorie adds in this morning's column, I can't help but think that the judge needs further training in his role as a judge.

When it comes to employing girls for sex trade, as is the case here, the law must not see any gray area; the defendant either did it or he didn't do it. it's a case of black and white.

Short of murdering them, this is as serious offense as it gets. The sexual exploitation of uneducated troubled kids for money is right up their at the top of the list.

The question the judge should have been asking was, tell me why I shouldn't lock him up for life without possibility of parole, and work from there.

Your instincts are correct on this one Marjorie. This ruling smells to high heaven.

Utah, like other states, needs to follow Nevada's lead and leagalize prostitution as a state controlled and regulated business, the same as the state's liqour stores.

Anonymous | 9:38 a.m. Sept. 22, 2009
Short of murdering them, this is as serious offense as it gets.
---------------------

I guess you have never heard of beating a person or maiming them, or swindling them of their life savings as approach retirement age or are already retired.

Why kind of silly statement is that? certainly there are worse things to do to a person.

"the law must not see any gray area"

If this is true, why do we need judges for sentencing? A simple computer program would do.

"Why kind of silly statement is that?"

I was just thinking the same thing of yours.

Your response is a clear indicator of a broken moral compass. Ironically I am approaching retirement and we were recently defrauded out of every dime of home equity which was our only retirement.

Clearly you have little life experience. Unlike physical wounds that in most cases can be repaired and over time heal, emotional wounds and scars have a profound lasting effect throughout ones life. Having talked with numerous victims of sexual molestation over the years, I am confident in my earlier statement and confident that your statement is founded on an immature and irrational reaction.

But the troubling thing to me is that you seem to place this crime into the minor indiscretion category which is eerily similar to the response of those who get caught on the MSNBC series of "To Catch a Predator."

I will assume that you are young and don't have a daughter, but when you grow up and mature you will know that this is a heinous crime that violates and scars the very spirit of these victims for life.