Source: CVDaily Feed
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LOGAN — A judge has refused to give a Hyrum man, Allen A. Bertoch, a third chance at therapy and instead ordered the 21-year-old to serve out his suspended prison sentence for molesting a girl in 2012.
Judge Thomas Willmore told Bertoch that he had no other place to send the man after he had violated the terms of his treatment at the Northern Utah Community Correctional Center (NUCCC) in Ogden. He explained that he had taken into account the defendant’s mental health challenges but the egregious nature of the case left him no other options.
In April 2013, Bertoch was sentenced to serve three-years-to-life in prison after pleading guilty to attempted sodomy on a child, a first-degree felony. That sentence was suspended under the conditions that he would serve up to one-year in jail and complete sex offender therapy at NUCCC.
State attorney Barbara Lochmar said Bertoch was kicked out of the center twice for violating program rules. He reportedly conspired with other patients to deceive therapists and admitted to viewing pornography on a smart phone that he was not allowed to have.
In October 2012, Cache County Sheriff’s deputies arrested the then 18-year-old Bertoch after he allegedly sodomized a 10-year-old girl at his Hyrum residence. He reportedly would give the victim some type of medication to make her “sleepy” before molesting her. The victim, who was a relative, later told investigators he had assaulted her on three separate occasions.
During Monday’s appearance in 1st District Court, Bertoch told Judge Willmore he appreciated the court giving him chances to receive treatment and that prison may be the best thing for him right now.
will@cvradio.com