DETROIT (WWJ) - A 35-year-old Detroit man, who police say is a repeat sex offender, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for exploiting his own child, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.
The man, who WWJ is choosing not to name to protect the minor's identity, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children this week after authorities say he filmed his girlfriend engaging in sex with his 10-year-old son on his cellphone.
He then showed it to at least one other person.
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said the incident was made worse by the fact the father committed the crime while out on parole as a registered sex offender -- he was only out of prison for less than a year when authorities charged him with his most recent crime.
“This offender committed a horrific act, an offense made even more serious because he did so while on supervision for another sex offense," Ison said in a press release about the case. "This sentence will protect the public and demonstrates our commitment to keep children safe."
The sentencing guidelines had called for 25 to 50 years behind bars, but the judge took into consideration the difficult circumstances the man had grown up in when making her decision.
The disgraced father's lawyer argued in court that his client had unaddressed childhood trauma and was sexually abused at a young age. The lawyer went on to say that the convicted man's home life normalized sexualization early on, which thrust him into fatherhood at the age of 13.
"The mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years is sufficient for (him) to receive the necessary counseling he needs to come to terms with his past trauma," his lawyer wrote in court documents obtained by the Detroit Free Press. "Addressing his own trauma will allow him to understand the damage he caused his son."
Prosecutors agreed the man was troubled and needed help, but still fought for a higher sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne urged the judge to consider giving the man more time behind bars, writing in a sentencing memo that the man “committed an unthinkable offense … horrific and unthinkable."
HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar also denounced the man's actions, stating "the fact that he committed them while on parole for other sex crimes is evidence of the danger he poses to our communities."
The despite the judge's decision, Salazar said she will continue fighting for children and vowed to thoroughly investigate each sexual offense involving minors.
Authorities said the man's girlfriend was also charged in state court with criminal sexual conduct.