11/08/13 Christopher Detrick, 38, of Plymouth, was sentenced today in Marshall Superior Court 1 to twenty years imprisonment for Child Molesting, a Class B felony. Detrick plead guilty on August 30, 2013 to the offense, just four days before his trial by jury was to begin. At that hearing, Detrick admitted he molested a 7 year old girl who, with her mother and sister, were living with him at the time. The charges against Detrick covered the period between February 2011 through March of 2012. The case was investigated by Detective Sgt. Duane Culp of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Division of Child Protective Services.
Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman presented at the sentencing hearing a video recorded statement of the child as she was interviewed by Sally Wisthuff of the Casie Center in South Bend. In addition the mother of the victim read an impact statement to the court. Chipman argued for the maximum sentence available under the law based on the repeated occurrences, the young age of the victim, and the fact the defendant egregiously violated a position of trust with the victim. Chipman also argued that Detrick was no stranger to the criminal justice system, even though none of his prior offenses were felonies. He was, however, on probation at the time of the offenses. Defense counsel Tom A. Black argued for a portion of the sentence to be suspended and asked that counseling be included.
After hearing the evidence and the arguments of counsel, Judge Robert O. Bowen handed down the maximum sentence allowed under the law, twenty years. None of the sentence was suspended. In addition, Judge Bowen ordered the sentence be credit restricted time which requires that at least 80 per cent of the actual sentence be served in prison. Upon his release Detrick will be required to register as a violent sex offender for the rest of his life.
