EUGENE, Ore. -- A 19-year-old man has admitted molesting 11 children at his mother's in-home day care center over the past two years.
In a plea bargain, Mason Morell of Springfield was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison on counts involving two girls.
In exchange for what prosecutor Mike Pugh called "a significant break," Morrell identified all his victims during a lie detector session.
Pugh said Morrell was able to give only first names of many of the victims, and authorities are trying to identify all to make sure they get counseling.
The victims were boys and girls ages 3 to 6. One of the girls told her mother about the abuse.
Morrell was not employed at the day care, but as an adult over the age of 18 in the home, he was required to undergo a background check. He had no criminal background.
The mother of one victim, a 3-year-old sodomized during a toilet training session, sobbed as she addressed Morrell in court.
"I've lost confidence in my ability to parent and protect my own child," she said.
Morell's mother, Heidi Spalding, said the day care operation, certified by the state, remains open.
She said she cares for three to four children at a time, didn't leave her son alone with the children and had no idea about the abuse.
Spalding said her son has learning disabilities and was a sweet boy who didn't drink or smoke.
"I was extremely shocked," she said. "I have really wracked my brains to figure out what had happened."
"I would have expected a little less jail time and a little more help," she said. "Since Measure 11 passed, people don't get the help they need."
Morrell is not eligible for early release and will be required to register as a sex offender after he serves his term.
http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstori....20e69be9.html
I have to wonder if mom is in denial or covering up....
And WTF does learning disabilities have to do with molesting a child anyway? Damn...
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Originally Posted by So Jaded
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