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Sandra Yi ReportingA judge today showed no sympathy for a man accused of fondling a teenage girl in his care. Jeffrey Lake was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison.
Lake's wife is also facing prison time in this case.
Jeffrey Lake and his wife were the court-appointed guardians for a teenage girl. Prosecutors say the girl was sexually abused. They also say Lake was a minor player in what was going on in the home.
In court today, Lake told the judge the girl would pin him against a cabinet. He said he didn't feel comfortable disciplining her when she did that. He fondled her several times. Lake said he was sorry for what he did.
Both the defense and prosecution asked the judge to sentence Lake after a diagnostic evaluation, but the judge denied their request and sentenced him this afternoon to one to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors say the allegations against him surfaced last year after Lake's wife sent sexually explicit pictures of the girl to someone over the phone.
Chief Deputy Tooele County Attorney Gary Searle said, "I definitely think he was influenced, and I think he was influenced to keep his wife happy. From what I've read, she was the ringleader, she was the one leading the charge in what was occurring in the home."
Beth Lake is charged with producing child pornography, which is a federal offense. She is expected to appear in federal court in October. If convicted, she will go to prison for at least 15 years.
The girl is now with her father.
