Man gets five years for sex assaults on sisters

The mother of two girls who were sexually assaulted by a Springfield man gave a tearful statement in court Friday morning during the man's sentencing.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140812/NEWS02/708129929

Published August 12, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Man gets five years for sex assaults on sisters By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The mother of two girls who were sexually assaulted by a Springfield man gave a tearful statement in court Friday morning during the man’s sentencing. “I cry for my daughters every day. Our lives will be forever changed and we will never forget what he has done to us,” the woman told Judge Karen Carroll, as George Simonds watched from a few feet away, sitting in a red prison jumpsuit at the defense table. Simonds, 44, who had previously been living on disability checks, has been jailed since his arrest a year ago, and in March he formally pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault on a minor and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. He admitted he had violated the terms of his probation. On Friday, Simonds was sentenced to five years to life in prison with all but five years of that time suspended and credit for the year he has already been behind bars. After he completes sex offender treatment and is released in four years, he will remain on probation until further order of the court. At the time of Simonds’ arrest, Springfield Detective Anthony Moriglioni wrote that the case developed quickly after one of the girls told relatives that Simonds had shown her a graphic porn video and then engaged in several sex acts with her. Moriglioni said Simonds initially denied that anything had taken place, saying, “I’m not a sick person” and “I’m not a bad guy” several times, before eventually admitting that “stuff” had happened as the girl described. The victim’s mother said she herself had been “physically, emotionally and mentally abused,” by Simonds over the years. Referring to statements Simonds made to investigators suggesting that the girls bore some responsibility for what had transpired, the girls’ mother said Simonds was “30-plus years older” than his victims. “To say it was their fault is just wrong,” the mother said. “What he is getting for a sentence is nothing compared to what we have to live with every day, the loss of a mother, daughter and sister relationship. He has no compassion or sympathy for what he has done. He put the blame on everyone but himself.” Speaking of her younger daughter, she told the court Simonds “took her innocence away.” “It makes me sick to know that someone could do such a thing to a child, especially a child with disabilities. He invaded her body in every way.” She said her children had been hospitalized because of the pain and suffering they’ve gone through. Explaining the reasoning behind the plea deal and urging her to accept it, Windsor County State’s Attorney Michael Kainen told Carroll the agreement came about shortly before there was going to be a motion to suppress. “The offer made in this case is certainly a little bit more lenient than what the state would ask for after trial,” Kainen said, but “he does five years. That’s a significant punitive aspect to the sentence. The sentence (then) puts him out on probation under full sex offender terms. He would have to petition to try and get off probation and, at least by today’s prevailing standards, there is some doubt as to whether he would get off probation 15 to 20 years from now so this effectively will be a life probation sentence.” Beyond the immediate punishment and treatment cycle, Kainen told the court, Simonds will “have a long sentence hanging over his head so we’ve almost got a civil-commitment situation where if he violates probation, the public is protected because he will be going right back in. He is getting some benefit for taking responsibility for what he’s done, although he sort of “minimized aspects of it,” Kainen said. When it was his turn to speak, Simonds indicated he didn’t have anything to say, but then Carroll referred to the mother’s statement. “Do you have any reaction to the comments that she made?” Carroll asked. Simonds slowly replied. “I regret what I did. Some of the stuff that she said is true, some of it is not true. I’m not going to stand here and get nitpicky with it.” “And you understand the impact on the children?” Carroll asked. “Yes,” Simonds replied. Carroll accepted the plea agreements saying she understood the state’s reasoning behind it and, she addressed the concerns that Simonds appeared to have minimized his responsibility. She said, “I don’t think that’s an unusual thing to hear at this point.” Pointing out that while Simonds had admitted to his actions and cooperated with police, he’s also made “statements about the children being consenting partners to this or maybe even initiating partners to this,” Carroll said, “I think that sort of thinking process is addressed over time in sex-offender treatment.” The judge said, “This would be a completely different sentence if the defendant were claiming no responsibility at all for these behaviors, but in essence, he has spared the children from having to go through a trial and having to testify ... so that bodes well for treatment, which then helps the court to find that the public will be protected by having him in treatment.”