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Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009

Le Grand man sentenced to 114 years for child molestation

Convict will most likely die in prison before he's eligible for parole

A Le Grand man convicted of molesting four children was sentenced to 114 years and eight months in prison Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Carol Ash sentenced George Allen Leavitt, 33, on 10 counts of child molestation and one count of witness intimidation. The last charge was for trying to prevent a fifth child from testifying against him in court.

Prosecutors said the crimes happened between 2006 and 2008, ranging from oral copulation to lewd acts. Leavitt's attorney, however, called the sentence a "travesty of justice," saying his client continues to maintain his innocence.

In sentencing Leavitt, Ash said the defendant took advantage of the friendships he shared with the victims' parents in order to molest the children, according to Deputy District Attorney David Sandhaus.

By the time Leavitt is eligible for parole, Sandhaus said the defendant will have died in prison. "We are grateful that Judge Ash sent a strong message of deterrence with this sentence and showed great compassion for the victims," Sandhaus said.

Leavitt was previously convicted of having an illicit relationship with a 13-year-old girl in 2007 and 2008. In that case, he pleaded no contest in July 2008 to a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child. He was sentenced to six months in jail and was required to register as a sex offender.

Not long after the plea agreement, four children came forward, saying they were molested by Leavitt. The four additional victims, two boys, ages 13 and 10, and two girls, ages 11 and 6, came forward with allegations after an article about Leavitt's plea agreement in the first case appeared in the Sun-Star.

In addition, the 13-year-old girl who had a relationship with Leavitt said he'd asked her to lie before a preliminary hearing in the case last year. Prosecutors said Leavitt persuaded the girl to change her story before the case went to trial, resulting in the plea deal.

Jeffrey Tenenbaum, Leavitt's attorney, said his client is devastated by the sentence, maintaining his innocence since the allegations first emerged. Tenenbaum argued during trial that the father of one of the victims asked Leavitt for $15,000, saying he'd go to law enforcement with the allegations if Leavitt didn't pay. Tenenbaum also claimed one of the victims couldn't even identify Leavitt. "(Leavitt) was a trusting person. He took this family in and they turned their backs on him and buried him," Tenenbaum said.

A Merced County jury didn't buy the defense's arguments, and they convicted Leavitt on Aug. 31. Sandhaus said the victims still suffer from the abuse. He said some of the victims' parents gave statements in court during Leavitt's sentencing Tuesday, saying the children have nightmares and are afraid of the defendant.

In responding to Tenenbaum's claim that one of the victims couldn't identify Leavitt, Sandhaus said the victim, who was a small child when the abuse happened, gave a detailed interview with investigators three years ago.

Even if the girl cannot recall the abuse today, Sandhaus said "that does not make her original report untruthful."

Prosecutors had offered Leavitt a plea deal of 12 years in prison before the two-week trial, but he declined.

Tenenbaum said an appeal will be filed in the case.

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.