When 45-year-old Thomas Goodman of Warwick, Rhode Island, pled guilty to sexually assaulting a newborn and two other kids he expected to spend time in jail. What he didn’t anticipate was for the judge to evaluate the chance that Goodman would re-offend, putting the court in charge of community safety.
We hear all too often about rapists and child abusers obtaining probation or suspended sentences after confessing to horrible acts against kids. Sadly, this usually occurs when the prosecution is forced to grant the accused a more lenient punishment in return for a guilty plea that would not otherwise be accepted, enabling the criminal to dodge justice totally.
Goodman fell in court after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 3-week-old newborn and two 6-year-old children, after the judge sentenced him to 260 years in prison. Goodman had anticipated receiving roughly 22 years in jail at the suggestion of his lawyers, which might easily result in an early release based on good behaviour. He slumped forward into the table in the centre of the courtroom after receiving his bicentennial sentence.
The sentence astonished even the prosecution, who had wanted only 100 years for Goodman. Nonetheless, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell imposed a sentence that was 160 years more than they had requested. He emphasised that it was his responsibility as a judge to guarantee that Goodman never mistreated another kid again.
Judge McConnell waited patiently for Goodman to recover consciousness before reaffirming that he will never leave the confines of the prison. He was sentenced to eight consecutive 30-year jail terms for sexually abusing minors and a 20-year sentence for having cruel and masochistic child pornography.
From the time she was three weeks old until she was 18 months old, Goodman recorded himself sexually assaulting a newborn infant. He also possessed video of himself molesting two females from the age of six to twelve.
He was apprehended when his company, submarine manufacturer Electric Boat, seized his cell phone after he broke work regulation by using it in the workplace. When his colleagues discovered child pornography videos on the iPad, they turned it over to North Kingstown Police. Over 8,000 photographs and videos of prepubescent females engaged in sexual behaviour were later discovered by investigators. Goodman took at least 135 images and made 62 films.
Prosecutor Lee Vilker, who was pleased with the judge’s decision, called Goodman’s case “by far the worst” he had ever seen. He went on to say that the victims will be suffering with the trauma of their assault for the rest of their lives.
Goodman gave a brief remark after recovering from the shock of his unfulfillable prison term. He himself stated that he had “no justification” for his horrific actions. Unfortunately for him, the judge had no sympathy for him.
With story after story detailing ridiculously light penalties for child abusers like Goodman, it’s good to see a court take justice and children’s protection seriously. Goodman’s primary problem now is surviving his 260-year sentence, as paedophiles are frowned upon even among convicts.
