Glad this one's going to be behind bars for a long time.

[deb_in_nc]

Ex-clown gets 17 years on child stuff charges

By Alan Gomez, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 22, 2004



WEST PALM BEACH -- David Deyo already was facing a lengthy prison term after the former clown and Sunday school teacher pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in October.

But on Wednesday, prosecutors requested, and got, a longer sentence for Deyo by arguing that he not only took pictures of juvenile girls, but molested them.

Deyo, formerly known as "Noodles the Clown" and a one-time volunteer at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, listened as prosecutors laid out his routine. At least twice, they argued, Deyo befriended a single mother, gained her confidence and then molested her daughter. One allegation was made by a Martin County child.

District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley called Deyo the most dangerous kind of pedophile because of the "surrogate father" role he took with the vulnerable girls, who were 8 and 10 years old at the time of the incidents.

The judge wasted little time in sentencing Deyo to 210 months -- or 17 1/2 years -- in federal prison followed by three years of strict probation.

The probation calls for Deyo, 43, to undergo mental health and sexual offender treatment programs and bars him from communicating with juvenile girls. The probation also prohibits Deyo from working or volunteering at places where he would come in contact with juvenile girls.

Given a last chance to speak, Deyo, who used a digital camera borrowed from his church to take some of the incriminating pictures, called on his religion.

"I am truly remorseful," he said. "To fall from grace is not an enlightening experience. I realize what I've done and I know that my path has changed significantly."

His attorney, Robin Rosen-Evans, said the judge should show leniency for Deyo, who had no criminal history and has two children who also are suffering.

Rosen-Evans also asked Hurley to look at his own classification of Deyo as a pedophile, which she called a mental disorder.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris differed, arguing for the longest possible prison term. Morris successfully requested a sentencing enhancement based on Deyo's pattern of sexual misconduct with the girls, arguing that "society needs to be protected from people like Mr. Deyo."

[DaylilyDawn]

I agreewith you Deb! I think he should be under the jail!

[Lake Effect1]

17yrs is not enough.

[deb_in_nc]

That's right, Lake. I hope he gets molested every single day of his time there. By a big, hairy guy named Bubba.

[mf_dolphin]

He'll get plenty of time on his knees! I hope some of it time for praying....