A Jeffersontown man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a young family member multiple times for nearly a decade.
Terry Wescott, 64, also revealed he’s abused seven others.
Under a deal he accepted Wednesday, Wescott pleaded guilty in Franklin Circuit Court to five counts of second-degree sodomy (victim under 14), one count of intimidating a witness, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse (victim under 12) and one count of incest.
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On the prosecutor’s recommendation, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd sentenced Wescott to 10 years on four of the sodomy counts, to run concurrently, and 10 years for another sodomy count, to run consecutively, for a total of 20 years.
He also sentenced him to one year for intimidating a witness and 10 years for incest, to run concurrent to the sodomy charges, and five years each for the sexual abuse charges, to run consecutively, for a total of 30 years.
Wescott was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victim.
According to the plea deal, Wescott began abusing a young relative in March of 1982, when the child was 6 years old, and he continued abusing him “on multiple occasions” until December of 1991.
In court Wednesday, Wescott admitted to molesting the victim, engaging in anal and oral sex, taking naked pictures and masturbating in front of him.
He also said he threatened the child with harm if he told anyone what happened.
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dana Todd said Wescott was “adamant” with investigators that he didn’t physically force the child to engage in these acts.
“But still, you recognize that you were an adult and he was a little boy,” Todd said to Wescott in court Wednesday.
“Yes, that’s right,” he responded.
As part of the plea deal, Wescott revealed to Todd that he’s sexually abused seven others. Todd said her office is reaching out to those victims and declined to say where they’re from or give their ages, citing pending investigations.
Wescott said under oath before accepting his plea deal Wednesday that those seven plus his relative were his only victims. Todd said Wescott has disclosed privately in a meeting with her and his lawyers what acts he’s committed with those victims.
According to the plea deal, Wescott will not face additional charges for those seven victims. If more come forward, or if those victims reveal that Wescott did more than what he disclosed to Todd, then additional charges may be filed against him, Todd said.
Wescott’s lawyers said Wednesday that once he’s eligible, they may seek shock probation. Todd said the commonwealth would oppose probation.
“We feel that the length of time (of abuse), the course of conduct and the impact on this victim merits incarceration,” Todd said after court.
“It takes a lot of strength and courage for a victim to come forward, and it’s gratifying when you have an outcome that reflects at least some measure of justice.”
Wescott was arrested by Kentucky State Police in February after a two-month long investigation, after the victim, now an adult, approached state police in December about filing sexual abuse charges. Wescott was charged with three counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of second-degree sodomy, intimidating a witness, first-degree sexual abuse, use of a minor under 16 years old in a sexual performance and incest.
He’s been lodged at the Franklin County Regional Jail since his arrest on $100,000 bond.
