Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST JORDAN -- The way Barton Bagnes tells it, his decision to wear a diaper and expose that diaper to children, is part of a one man quest to prevent shame and abuse.
"I did it because kids that have this problem ... are told to keep secrets, tell lies," he said, crying. "And it makes them that much more likely to keep secrets about abuse."
But 3rd District Judge Terry Christiansen refused to accept that explanation.
"It is wrong and I don't buy your explanation and jury didn't buy it either. You are not on a one-man crusade for people with incontinence issues... that crusade is not working."
Christiansen sentenced Bagnes, 33, Monday to 1 to 15 years in prison for sexual exploitation, a second-degree felony, and two terms of zero to five years for two counts of lewdness involving a child, a third-degree felony. The sentences will run concurrently. Prosecutors say Bagnes' lewd behavior has gone on for 10 years.
"There have been 14 separate incidences since 1999," prosecutor Robert Neill said after the hearing. "He's really not learning the lesson."
Bagnes said in court that he had reached out for help, but felt that wearing a diaper in public was the only way to address the issue of bedwetting. He said he attempted to send letters to various media outlets hoping to shed light on the issue, but nothing came of those efforts.
"It's clearly not working, what I was doing," he said. "I couldn't think of any other way it would work. If I wrote a letter it wouldn't be published in any newspaper... I couldn't think of any other way it would work."
Neill said Bagnes' inability to accept responsibility for his behavior, and his refusal to acknowledge that it was wrong was a serious issue that warranted prison time.
"What is so concerning to the community and of course the state is that he doesn't see that this is an issue when we're here because Mr. Bagnes goes up to children and scares them to death... these kids are terrified."
E-mail:emorgan@desnews.com
