Thread: Boy, 15, gets 60 years for StL County sex attack of girl, 6

CLAYTON -- A judge sentenced to 60 years in prison this morning a teenager who had pleaded guilty of kidnapping, beating and sexually assaulting a neighbor in Spanish Lake on Nov. 11, 2005, when he was 13 and she was 6.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Melvyn W. Wiesman imposed the sentence on Sherman Burnett Jr., now 15 and the youngest inmate ever housed in the county jail.

In imposing the lengthy sentence -- Burnett will be ineligible for parole until at least the year 2056, when he is 64 -- Wiesman rejected confining Burnett in a juvenile offender program in Montgomery City, Mo., where Burnett could have gotten a chance at probation as early as age 17.

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I'm not sure how I feel about this sentence. I certainly don't condone what he did but 60 years with no possibility of parole until he is 64 is basically a life sentence for someone who was only 13 when the crime was committed..

Certainly it's a horrifying experience for the little girl.

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Under the juvenile offender program sought by defense attorney Nellie Ribaudo, Burnett would get counseling, sex offender treatment and education that he couldn't get in prison. He would have hearings when he turned 17 to see if he should continue in the program and again at 21. In that hearing, Buerck said, a judge would decide if Burnett was eligible for probation or would be turned over to the prison system for the balance of his sentence.

Wiesman rejected juvenile custody, saying Burnett was an inappropriate candidate ``in light of the severity of the assault and what appears to be a threat to the community.''

The judge then sentenced Burnett to 20 years in prison each on counts of child kidnapping and assault; and 10 years each on charges of sodomy and atttempted rape. The sentences are to be served consecutively and Burnett will be ineligible for parole until he serves 85 percent or 51 years.

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What are your views?

Wow! That's harsh sentencing for a kid. What he did was totally unforgiveable, but to try him as though he was an adult is ridiculous.

Good! Even @ 13 you know the difference between right and wrong.. Wanna get busy do it with someone your own age not a defenseless child. The judge just got a predator off the street before he caused any more harm.

I don't consider it a harsh a sentence. Age is no matter when you commit an adult crime. As far as I see it, you take someone's right to live a free life, you deny yourself that same right. What has obvioulsy been ignored here is that that little girl will have to live with this for her entire life. And, she had no choice in the matter.

Harsh sentence!
That is terrible, 60 years!
When the real criminals get little time, if any, to serve.

Hope it is overturned on appeal or at least dropped down to 3 years or so.

Originally Posted by iowadawg

Harsh sentence!
That is terrible, 60 years!
When the real criminals get little time, if any, to serve.

Hope it is overturned on appeal or at least dropped down to 3 years or so.

I agree totally. Most adults don't get that much time.

Horrible crime it was, 60 years though for 13. If you're going to treat a minor like an adult for crime than you also should treat them like an adult all other ways. Afterall the excuse that they can't drink, smoke, etc, etc is they are not developed enough, do not know better, etc, etc.

Exactly.. it was a horrendous crime against that little girl, but I'm not convinced incarcerating a 15 yr old for something he did at 13 for 60 years is the answer to society's ills.. it's a sad situation.

Originally Posted by GRIM

I agree totally. Most adults don't get that much time.

Horrible crime it was, 60 years though for 13. If you're going to treat a minor like an adult for crime than you also should treat them like an adult all other ways. Afterall the excuse that they can't drink, smoke, etc, etc is they are not developed enough, do not know better, etc, etc.

Originally Posted by dav3.tv

CLAYTON -- A judge sentenced to 60 years in prison this morning a teenager who had pleaded guilty of kidnapping, beating and sexually assaulting a neighbor in Spanish Lake on Nov. 11, 2005, when he was 13 and she was 6.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Melvyn W. Wiesman imposed the sentence on Sherman Burnett Jr., now 15 and the youngest inmate ever housed in the county jail.

In imposing the lengthy sentence -- Burnett will be ineligible for parole until at least the year 2056, when he is 64 -- Wiesman rejected confining Burnett in a juvenile offender program in Montgomery City, Mo., where Burnett could have gotten a chance at probation as early as age 17.

=============================

I'm not sure how I feel about this sentence. I certainly don't condone what he did but 60 years with no possibility of parole until he is 64 is basically a life sentence for someone who was only 13 when the crime was committed..

Certainly it's a horrifying experience for the little girl.

=============================

Under the juvenile offender program sought by defense attorney Nellie Ribaudo, Burnett would get counseling, sex offender treatment and education that he couldn't get in prison. He would have hearings when he turned 17 to see if he should continue in the program and again at 21. In that hearing, Buerck said, a judge would decide if Burnett was eligible for probation or would be turned over to the prison system for the balance of his sentence.

Wiesman rejected juvenile custody, saying Burnett was an inappropriate candidate ``in light of the severity of the assault and what appears to be a threat to the community.''

The judge then sentenced Burnett to 20 years in prison each on counts of child kidnapping and assault; and 10 years each on charges of sodomy and atttempted rape. The sentences are to be served consecutively and Burnett will be ineligible for parole until he serves 85 percent or 51 years.

===========================

What are your views?

64 years isent enof, he has emotionally damaged that girl 4 life, any1 who has a deep real love for his girlfrend wife boyfrend man knows what i mean. When your making love you can have terrefied flash backs of that memory recking her social life and sexuel life forever.

He got what he deserved at 13 years old you know darn wel what you are doing to a difrent person if he was 3 years old I woud say well ye sexuel exploration its possible but then i woud blaim the parents for now teaching the kid way of life burds and the bees.

And you didn't do anything stupid at 13?

I think that goes beyond stupid.. but a life sentence doesn't give anyone a chance to redeem themselves or rehabilitate IMO.

Originally Posted by Autumn

And you didn't do anything stupid at 13?

I understand what he did was very serious, and I most certainly wouldn't like to see it happen to anyone. It was more in response to the poster above that comment that he judge a person on what he did at that age. I have seen enough stupid teenagers when my girls were growingup, to know that some of them did the most idiotic things but have grown up to very responsible citizens. Of course some never grew up and keep doing idiotic things even now