Lowell man sentenced to 13 years in sexual assault of girl
(Published Friday, February 16, 2007 09:57:02 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Wis. - A 36-year-old man convicted of molesting a 9-year-old girl was sentenced Thursday to 13 years in prison and 15 years of extended supervision upon his release.
Michael A. Behymer of Lowell pleaded guilty in November to one felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child.
Behymer had repeated sexual contact with the girl in Dodge County over a one-year period spanning 2005 and 2006, according to the criminal complaint.
The girl told investigators the abuse started even earlier in a different county when she was 4 years old, the complaint said.
Dodge County district attorney Steven Bauer had asked the judge for to impose a sentence of 20 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision.
"There were multiple assaults on a very young child, and the defendant has a prior sexual offense against a disabled woman in 1990," Bauer said. "(Behymer) is the type of person who will attempt to obtain sexual gratification from the most vulnerable individuals in our society. He is dangerous. The assaults on this young child are sickening and severe. He needs to be punished severely."
Behymer's attorney, William Mayer, requested a sentence of 10 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. Mayer noted that his client confessed and pleaded guilty, and presented evidence from a psychologist who called the defendant a low risk to re-offend.
Circuit Court Judge John Storck told Behymer before sentencing that he was not there to grant Behymer forgiveness.
"I am not here to accept your apologies. I am here to sentence you," Storck said. "If you hadn't cooperated with law enforcement by confessing to this crime and taking responsibility for it, I would have sentenced you to a substantially longer sentence."
Behymer was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
