More than a century in prison despite acquittal on charges before age 16

[Jim Burton]

The man had no prior record, but refused a plea that would see him face decades behind bars...

https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2 ... -sex-case/

A Girard man will have more than a lifetime to think about his actions against a young girl.

Shane Genetta, 40, of Elruth Court, was sentenced to a total of 120 to 125 years in prison Friday morning by Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice.

If he ever is released, Genetta will be required to register as a Tier III sex offender, which means he will be required to register with the sheriff of any county he chooses to reside or find employment in every 90 days for the rest of his life. He also will be prohibited from establishing residence or occupying premises 1,000 feet from school, preschool or child daycare premises.

Genetta’s sentencing comes a day after he was convicted on 16 of 19 charges against him.

[Not Forever]

“What hurts the most is knowing I deserve protection, safety, and care, but instead, I was forced to grow up way too soon,” the girl said. “Parts of my life and childhood were taken from me forever. This crime has shaped how I think, who I am and how I see and move through the world.”

I don’t want to read too much into it, but… damn, it feels like the real issue is how society is reacting and telling him how he should feel about this matter, rather than an actual problem caused by the crime itself.

To be clear, there are other parts that make a bit more sense—if he has anxiety attacks, that’s understandable—but the rest… if this were in a book, I’d think the author was being pretty lazy. And honestly, I don’t know to what extent what she’s going through justifies a man spending his life behind bars.