Yesterday, Former Subway Pitchman Jared Fogle was sentenced to serve 15 years and 8 months in federal prison by Federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
This is about three years more than federal prosecutors had been requesting – and it’s nearly triple the minimum five-year sentence that Fogle’s team was seeking as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. This sentence is, however, still far less than the 50-year maximum sentence that Fogle could have faced for his sex crimes against children.
According to experts, Fogle will have to serve at least 13 years of this sentence before becoming eligible for parole in 2029. It is unclear at this time where Fogle will serve out his sentence, though his attorneys were pushing for a Colorado prison.
Background on the Case: Fogle’s Sex Crimes against Minors
As we explained last month, Fogle’s sex crimes reportedly included receiving child sexual assault material and engaging in sex with minors on multiple occasions, sometimes even crossing state lines to do so. In fact, the federal investigation into Fogle ultimately revealed that he had:
- Possessed child sexual assault material in form of both pictures and videos that featured at least 12 different minors – Some of these minors were as young as 13 years old.
- Knowingly employed a child sexual assault material, who was running his foundation and producing/distributing child sexual assault material.
As the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana, explained in an August 2015 report:
[Fogle’s] child sexual assault material crime began when he learned that alleged co-conspirator Russell Taylor was sexually exploiting a 14 year old girl in March 2011. At that time, Mr. Fogle did nothing to stop the abuse or report it to authorities, but chose instead to receive and repeatedly view the child sexual assault material… Mr. Fogle admitted in court pleadings filed today that his actions caused the sexual victimization of a total of 12 minors in Indiana before his co-conspirator’s arrest in April 2015. He preyed on minor victims who did not have the ability to protect themselves.
Arguments Presented by Fogle’s Attorneys during the Sentencing Hearing
During the sentencing hearing, Fogle’s attorneys had attempted to argue for a lesser prison sentence, alleging that:
- Fogle’s compulsive eating/eating disorder had transformed into some type of hypersexuality when he lost more than 240 pounds on the “Subway” sandwich diet.
- Fogle was more of a “minor” pedophile because he was attracted to teenagers, rather than smaller children.
- Fogle had not sexually abused his own children, both of whom are younger than 10 years old.
These arguments presented during the four-hour sentencing hearing – as well as Fogle’s statement and tears apologizing for his crimes – were not ultimately effective at swaying Judge Pratt, however.
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Contact an Experienced Portland Child Sex Abuse Lawyer at the Savage Law Firm
If you or a loved one has been the target of child sex abuse or the subject of child sexual assault material, contact a trusted Portland child sex abuse lawyer at the Savage Law Firm for vigorous legal advocacy and experienced help pursuing justice and financial recovery.
At the Savage Law Firm, we understand that no amount of money can ever make up for childhood sexual abuse and exploitation. However, we also know that helping abuse survivors obtain compensation from their abusers and the people who possess images of them can be crucial to helping them obtain a sense of justice, as well as financial support to pay for necessary treatments.
Call us at 503-222-0200 (in Portland) or at 206-957-7272 (in Seattle). You can also email us using the form on this page. From our offices in Portland and Seattle, we represent clients nationwide.
