MOUNT VERNON — A 52-year-old Mount Vernon man was sentenced to 61⁄2 years in prison Thursday after being convicted in August of molesting a young girl during church services.
During his sentencing Thursday afternoon in Skagit County Superior Court, Joseph Kortus sat down on the floor and cried. He then read a 12-page hand-written statement to the court.
“Don’t imprison me on lies and deceit,” Kortus pleaded to Superior Court Judge John Meyer.
During the trial, two women testified that they saw Kortus inappropriately touching the child while in church on two separate occasions in 2006. One of the women said after he had touched the girl for about 10 minutes, he looked over at the witness and “smirked.”
Kortus was turned over to police that December.
While Kortus did not deny touching the then-9-year-old girl, his defense was that it was not sexual. He testified that he didn’t think the touching was a big deal. His attorney argued that it was consensual, if not provoked by the girl.
“I think all this got blown out of proportion,” said Oliver Dunn, a 20-year friend of Kortus’, during the Thursday hearing.
The victim’s mother gave a written statement to the court, which said she “cannot describe the pain and hurt” caused to her and her daughter by Kortus.
“This was a very difficult case,” Meyer said before he sentenced Kortus. The jury was “sick at heart” for having to listen to what happened and to make their conviction, Meyer said.
“Mr. Kortus just doesn’t understand that what happened was wrong,” Meyer said. “A grown man should have known better. The fact that he didn’t is why we’re here.”
Meyer said 20 or 30 years ago, matters such as this might have been “swept under the rug” or blamed on the victims.
He went on to say that seldom in child molestation cases are there two eyewitnesses, which is why many don’t ever make it to trial for failure of proof.
“These women (witnesses) had no bone to pick,” Meyer said. “In this case, we had two very believable, intelligent, eyewitnesses, who … in court clearly gave the impression that they were traumatized by observing (Kortus’ actions).”
Kortus’ attorney, Glen Hoff, said he would file appeal papers Monday.
Tahlia Ganser can be reached at 360-416-2148 or at .
