TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A former Twin Falls police officer has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing young girls.
William Jansen was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty in March to two counts of sexual abuse of a child under 16, The Times-News reported .
Jansen was charged with four counts of lewd conduct with a minor, but the charges were amended after reaching a plea agreement with Ada County prosecutors.
Jansen will serve at least two years in prison for each count, his sentences will run concurrently, Judge John Butler said.
Most Read Nation & World Stories
“I have no doubt that, but for the plea agreement that arrived after the state addressed it, that the jury would have returned a verdict of guilty on all counts,” Butler said at the sentencing hearing.
A teenage girl told police last year that Jansen had sexually abused her nearly a decade ago when she was between 7 and 9 years old. She also told authorities he abused at least two other girls, including one who has since died.
The other victim told police she was abused in 2005 and 2006 when she was 8 years old.
“It still confuses me to this day why it had to happen to me,” a victim told the court. “All we want is for someone that is this sick to get help.”
In a statement to the court, Jansen apologized to the victims and their families.
“I recognize that this has been a very, very hard thing for their families to go through,” Jansen said. “I’m trying to take responsibility for my actions that I did years ago and trying to make things right at this point.”
___
Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com