Birmingham police officer sented to 22 years in prison for sodomy
The Associated Press
(AL) - A judge has sentenced a former Birmingham police officer to 22 years in prison for forcing a 12-year-old boy to perform sexual acts.
Todd Easterwood, a 10-year veteran in North Precinct, was convicted of first-degree sodomy in February after a weeklong trial.
The case came to the attention of authorities after the victim, now 17, told his mother last year about the abuse, which happened in Hueytown over a period of three years.
Defense lawyer Jon Terry said Easterwood qualified for an alternative sentencing program and asked that his client be confined to a state hospital for treatment.
But Petelos denied the request.
"I realize that sentencing a former law enforcement officer and someone convicted of a sexual offense to prison poses a problem," Petelos said. "However, that can't be used as a reason for a lenient sentence. I think police officers should be held to a higher standard."
(AL) - A judge has sentenced a former Birmingham police officer to 22 years in prison for forcing a 12-year-old boy to perform sexual acts.
Todd Easterwood, a 10-year veteran in North Precinct, was convicted of first-degree sodomy in February after a weeklong trial.
The case came to the attention of authorities after the victim, now 17, told his mother last year about the abuse, which happened in Hueytown over a period of three years.
Defense lawyer Jon Terry said Easterwood qualified for an alternative sentencing program and asked that his client be confined to a state hospital for treatment.
But Petelos denied the request.
"I realize that sentencing a former law enforcement officer and someone convicted of a sexual offense to prison poses a problem," Petelos said. "However, that can't be used as a reason for a lenient sentence. I think police officers should be held to a higher standard."
posted by Terry at
5:08 AM
6 Comments:
The child that was allegedly molested was Easterwood's stepson. So how come the boy's Mother, which by the way is Easterwood's wife & still married to him, let him keep their little boy (after being accused of molesting the stepson) days at a time, spending the night with him? Never once did she try to keep Easterwood from seeing their little boy as a matter of fact encouraged the visits. If for one minute I honestly believed someone had molested ANY of my children there is no way in hell I would let him have anything to do with them. So why did she let him see the other little boy???? I don't get it. How many people have been unjustly accused, found guilty & sentenced to 22 years??? 22 YEARS. I read where a man confessed to molesting his daughter, CONFESSED, and he got 10 years???? I don't get it!!!If someone IS guilty then they must do the time. But what if the person is not guilty and was accused of something they didn't do because the one accusing was pissed??? Something to think about.
By
Anonymous, at 12:36 PM
Because, Todd lived with His Dad whom I respected and loved very much and promised me that he would make sure that his 3 year old grandson was taken good care of. He made me promise that I would not keep his grandson away from his son Todd Easterwood. Also, I got with DHR and they told me that it would hurt the 3 year old at the time more not to see his dad, since the circumstances was with Todd living with Dad that it would be fine. You really don't know what you will do or would do unless you were in my shoes. Also, this did not come about because I was pissed it was because my son told me at the age of 15 that it had been going on since he was 11 and did not tell me because he was threatened that he would kill him and me. Todd admitted to me that he did it when I approaced him with it telling me that he was sorry that he didn't know why it happened and he hated people like that and that he tried to protect people like that, you know with him being a so called upstanding Police Officer for the City of Birmingham. It is not just my word or my son's word now we have the word of 12 others and they are called the JURY!!!!! We had great evidence.
By
Anonymous, at 11:05 AM
Another thing that "guess who" left out is that she went and slept with this man after she knew of these "so called" accusations. That is a fact that she admitted to on the stand. So there are really two questions here. What mother would let this man take care of, spend the night with, and even give baths to after she thought he did this to another one of her sons, and the other question is what woman would have sex with the man that she thought did this to her son. As far as the her comment on the 12 jurors she left out that 10 of them were black and we all know what blacks think about white cops.
By
Anonymous, at 1:32 PM
You have no clue how someone that has gone through that situation handles things. You can say what you would do but you really dont know unless you were in her circumstances. The woman idolized that sicko and he was so controlling, that she still has very hard problems. You need to get a life and mind your own business, and also, his own Attorney picked the Jury.
By
Anonymous, at 11:29 AM
I agree with concerned for the Mom. This poor lady has gone through enough. This man has messed up enough lives. Todd is right where he needs to be and really for not long enough. His son will be much better off so that he cant ruin his life any more than he alreay has. Lets hope that the step-son that it happend to will be ok for the rest of his life cause he is the one that has to live with what happened to him everyday for 3 years of his young life. The other boy that Todd swept into his web is in Prison hisdelf because he got into bad things to try and cope with what he had going on in his mind. Todd has ruined has ruined alot of people's lives. He is right where he needs to be. He will have a long time to sit and think about all he has done to hurt people.
By
Anonymous, at 12:14 PM
I've read the comments on this page even "agrees with concerned mom" who can't write or spell but with all of that aside. Only 2 people know what IF anything happened and that is Todd & the boy. I honestly don't believe in my heart that Todd is guilty but if by any chance at all he is he will have to answer to God. IF that boy has lied, which is very possible, then God help him & I know my God that if he asks for help God will. I believe the truth will be told one day and "Mom" & "Guess who" and "agrees with concerned mom" are going to be shockingly surprised.
By
Anonymous, at 12:58 PM
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