winged-eel
12-29-2007, 06:33 PM
Man: Girl, 4, provoked me (http://nwherald.com/articles/2007/12/29/news/local/doc47762393489e2259563447.txt)
WOODSTOCK – A retired Canadian pastor likely on track to leave a McHenry County courtroom Friday with probation for sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl instead found himself behind bars after he told a judge that the girl acted sexually provocative toward him.
“I tried to avoid the encounters. On a couple of times, I thought I was being sexually harassed,” Kenneth R. Cooke, 73, told a judge. “I think there is psychological evidence today that children, even in their younger years, could become interested in sex.”
After listening to Cooke’s statements, Judge Joseph Condon sentenced him to three years in prison. Condon said the sentence was based partly on Cooke’s attitude.
“That just boggles my mind,” Condon said to Cooke. “You are willing to say whatever is convenient to you and what is most likely to release the pressure of these proceedings against you.”
Cooke pleaded guilty in November to aggravated criminal sexual abuse for abusing the girl in a Lake in the Hills home in 2003 while visiting from Canada.
“She will never be the same, naive, innocent child she was before the crime,” the girl’s mother said in court.
“She feels guilty and the sense of being a bad person because she has done things that she knows are wrong modeled after Mr. Cooke.”
Before Cooke ever appeared in a U.S. courtroom to answer to the charges, he fought his extradition from Canada for years, prosecutors said.
The victim’s mother said the prolonged legal proceedings had been mentally exhausting on her family.
“Every year that passed without any resolution was extremely frustrating and prevented us from moving on,” she said.
“It’s been 4 1/2 years and we are still dealing with the repercussions of this incident.”
Also during the hour-long sentencing hearing, Cooke expressed remorse and said he was misrepresented and misunderstood. When Condon asked Cooke what he meant, Cooke denied abusing the girl.
“I never touched that child in an inappropriate manner,” Cooke said.
Cooke said he pleaded guilty because he and his family didn’t believe that his ailing health could withstand a trial.
“My family felt I’d have a nervous breakdown or heart attack, so I had no other choice.”
Prosecutors asked Condon to sentence Cooke to the maximum seven years in prison.
“He is not accepting responsibility for his actions,” McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said. “The defendant is blaming his criminal action on a 4-year-old as the aggressor.”
Cooke’s attorney, William Stanton, asked for Cooke to receive probation, a likely sentence considering Cooke’s lack of criminal history, age and health.
“He still remains a highly regarded member of his church and community,” Stanton said.
According to court documents, Cooke was a pastor in the Christian Missionary Alliance for 38 years.
With good behavior, Cooke would have to serve half of his sentence, or 18 months in prison.
WOODSTOCK – A retired Canadian pastor likely on track to leave a McHenry County courtroom Friday with probation for sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl instead found himself behind bars after he told a judge that the girl acted sexually provocative toward him.
“I tried to avoid the encounters. On a couple of times, I thought I was being sexually harassed,” Kenneth R. Cooke, 73, told a judge. “I think there is psychological evidence today that children, even in their younger years, could become interested in sex.”
After listening to Cooke’s statements, Judge Joseph Condon sentenced him to three years in prison. Condon said the sentence was based partly on Cooke’s attitude.
“That just boggles my mind,” Condon said to Cooke. “You are willing to say whatever is convenient to you and what is most likely to release the pressure of these proceedings against you.”
Cooke pleaded guilty in November to aggravated criminal sexual abuse for abusing the girl in a Lake in the Hills home in 2003 while visiting from Canada.
“She will never be the same, naive, innocent child she was before the crime,” the girl’s mother said in court.
“She feels guilty and the sense of being a bad person because she has done things that she knows are wrong modeled after Mr. Cooke.”
Before Cooke ever appeared in a U.S. courtroom to answer to the charges, he fought his extradition from Canada for years, prosecutors said.
The victim’s mother said the prolonged legal proceedings had been mentally exhausting on her family.
“Every year that passed without any resolution was extremely frustrating and prevented us from moving on,” she said.
“It’s been 4 1/2 years and we are still dealing with the repercussions of this incident.”
Also during the hour-long sentencing hearing, Cooke expressed remorse and said he was misrepresented and misunderstood. When Condon asked Cooke what he meant, Cooke denied abusing the girl.
“I never touched that child in an inappropriate manner,” Cooke said.
Cooke said he pleaded guilty because he and his family didn’t believe that his ailing health could withstand a trial.
“My family felt I’d have a nervous breakdown or heart attack, so I had no other choice.”
Prosecutors asked Condon to sentence Cooke to the maximum seven years in prison.
“He is not accepting responsibility for his actions,” McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said. “The defendant is blaming his criminal action on a 4-year-old as the aggressor.”
Cooke’s attorney, William Stanton, asked for Cooke to receive probation, a likely sentence considering Cooke’s lack of criminal history, age and health.
“He still remains a highly regarded member of his church and community,” Stanton said.
According to court documents, Cooke was a pastor in the Christian Missionary Alliance for 38 years.
With good behavior, Cooke would have to serve half of his sentence, or 18 months in prison.