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Child molesters get long prison terms
YOUNGSTOWN
One man was sentenced to 16 years in prison and another to nine years in prison, both for sex crimes against minors.
Zachary A. Walker, 21, of Tibbetts-Wick Road, Girard, received a 16-year prison term Monday from Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court after Walker pleaded guilty to three counts each of rape and gross sexual imposition.
Walker committed his crimes against a girl, who was between 5 and 7 years old between July 2010 and August 2012, according to the indictment. He had been facing possible life prison terms on the rape charges because of the victim’s age.
Walker entered his plea and was sentenced on the morning his jury trial was scheduled to begin.
In the other case, Michael Ashby, 49, of Bouquet Avenue, was sentenced by visiting Judge Thomas Pokorny in common pleas court to nine years in prison after he earlier had entered an Alford plea to seven counts of gross sexual imposition.
In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the evidence may be sufficient to cause a jury to convict him had he gone to trial.
Ashby originally was charged with three counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition; and he could have drawn a life prison term on one of the rape counts because that crime purportedly occurred when the victim was younger than 13.
Ashby escaped a possible life sentence by entering into the plea agreement.
“He molested and raped this girl for eight years,” Rebecca Doherty, chief of the criminal division in the county prosecutor’s office, told the judge. Doherty recommended a 10-year prison term.
The offenses occurred between March 2005 and July 2011, while the victim was between age 10 and 16, according to the indictment.
“You chose to take advantage of me when I was already vulnerable, not just because of my age, but because of my past sexual abuse. Shame on you,” the victim told Ashby in a statement Doherty read in court.
“Please make sure he stays in prison for as long as possible for my healing, and possibly to protect another potential victim,” the victim urged the judge in her statement.
Ashby’s lawyer, Thomas Zena, asked Judge Pokorny to consider that his client has no prior criminal history and is an honorably discharged Marine veteran, who was gainfully employed as a state prison guard.
“I agreed to this [plea agreement] because I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in prison for something I didn’t do,” said Ashby, who turns 50 today.
Ashby will be on parole for three years after he leaves prison. He must register annually as a sex offender for 15 years, the judge said.