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Sacramento judge hands down maximum sentence for man who sexually abused children
Sacramento Bee - 6/25/2020
Jun. 25--A Sacramento Superior Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a Citrus Heights man who, prosecutors say, sexually abused several children and threatened them if they revealed the sex abuse.
Judge Geoffrey Goodman sentenced Jason Earl Hook, 44, to serve 75 years to life in prison for the sexual abuse, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. The judge handed down the maximum sentence for Hook's charges.
On May 15, Hook pleaded no contest to two counts of committing a lewd act on a child younger than 14 years old, three counts of oral copulation on a child younger than 10, one count of committing a lewd act on a child 14 or years old and one count of an attempted lewd act on a child younger than 14.
Prosecutors say Hook was convicted on charges that listed seven victims who ranged in ages 7 to 15 at the time of the sexual abuse. They also have said Hook knew the victims and "repeatedly sexually abused them" starting in 2010.
Hook abused the children during what he referred to as "garage nights," according to the news release, and he would tell the children to pinkie-swear promise to secrecy about the abuse and the punishment for breaking that promise was to have their pinkie cut off.
When he was arrested Sept. 27, Hook initially faced 25 counts of sexual abuse. The Citrus Heights Police Department at the time thought there could be more victims. Police said Hook's victims were both boys and girls, which included friends of family members who would visit him at his home.
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On Wednesday evening, Hook remained at the Sacramento County Main Jail as he waited transfer to prison. Deputy District Attorney Dinah Mielke prosecuted the case.
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