(Grand Junction, Colorado) In March 2007, a 49-year-old grandmother, Debra Slaughenhaupt, was arrested for investigation of multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual exploitation of a child and child abuse. Slaughenhaupt's arrest came after she was linked to an Internet child pornography operation involving a Toronto, Ontario, man named Matthew Hughes. Hughes apparently beguiled Slaughenhaupt into forcing two children, ages 3 and 9, to perform sexual acts on her and send webcam images of the child porn to him on the Internet. Federal agents ultimately tracked the images to Slaughenhaupt.
In June 2007, Slaughenhaupt pleaded guilty in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution to felony counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, sexual exploitation of a child and a misdemeanor count of child abuse.
Yesterday, Mesa County District Judge Richard Gurley sentenced Slaughenhaupt, now 50. Despite probation officials recommending four years to life in prison and indicating that Slaughenhaupt was not remorseful, Judge Gurley imposed 20 years to life probation and 15 months in jail.
Judge Gurley also prohibited Slaughenhaupt from owning or using a computer or accessing the Internet. She also can't be around children and she must undergo sex offender treatment.
Hand slap? I think so. As I understand, a child pornography conviction in federal court would have netted Slaughenhaupt many years in prison. Why the feds didn't prosecute, I don't know.
Instead, Slaughenhaupt was prosecuted locally and Judge Gurley rejected all recommendations for a term in prison. I cannot even comprehend a man receiving the same sentence for molesting children, producing child pornography and transmitting it over the Internet.
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