I can't believe this. Why does this country continue to give these sickos a slap on the wrist when they are ruining peoples lives?
From CNN news.
BURLINGTON, Vermont (AP) -- A judge is under fire for sentencing a man to 60 days in prison for molesting a girl beginning when she was 6 years old.
Judge Edward Cashman said he did not require Mark Hulett, 34, to serve more time because Hulett could not receive sex offender treatment while in prison.
"The court viewed the defendant as a dangerous man, likely to engage in future crime unless he has proper and timely treatment," the judge said in court documents filed Tuesday.
Once released, Hulett must undergo treatment and will be under state supervision. If he fails to abide by the terms, he could be sent back to prison for up to 10 years for aggravated sexual assault.
If he serves that time, Hulett would also face a potential life sentence for a second sexual assault count.
Victim's family is outraged
The victim's family, who have not been identified publicly, were outraged by the decision, handed down January 4.
Gov. James Douglas condemned the sentence and House Republicans introduced a resolution calling on Cashman to resign. A state senator is urging his impeachment.
"This guy has got to go," state Sen. Wendy Wilton, a Republican, said in a television appearance. "People believe he has flipped his lid."
For his part, Cashman said he was aware of the criticism his decision had prompted, stating that the "negative comments sting."
"I owe it to the judiciary and to my own conscience to maintain a stand that I believe is the best possible option in a very difficult situation," he said.
Hulett was family friend
Hulett pleaded guilty last summer to charges that he sexually assaulted the victim on at least three occasions over a four-year period.
Hulett was a friend of the victim's family and frequently stayed in her home. The victim's parents were aware that Hulett had an interest in the girl and that the two, on some occasions, slept in the same bed, court documents said.
The Department of Correction's sex offender treatment team argued Hulett's risk to re-offend was low. Under Corrections Department policy low-risk sex offenders can only be treated in the community.
But Cashman disagreed with those assessments. He wrote that Hulett had the emotional maturity of a 12- to 14-year old and did not understand why others were so upset by his actions.
Cashman said he was concerned that delaying Hulett's treatment while he served a longer sentence would cause more harm and increase the long-term risk he presented to the community.