Molester To Serve At Least 15 Years Judge Orders Up To Life For Man Who Fondled Boy, Three Girls

A 1st District Court judge sentenced a Post Falls man to serve up to life in prison Monday, saying he believed the man who molested four young children teetered on being a pedophile.

Judge Gary Haman’s decision touched off a loud cheer of, “Yes! Yes!” from the dozen or so family members and friends of the victims while Michael A. Asbury, 48, sat silently sobbing behind the defendants table.

“This is a crime that’s probably as repugnant a crime as there is,” said Haman, who ordered that Asbury serve 15 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Asbury pleaded guilty earlier this summer to three counts of lewd conduct with a minor. Three additional counts were dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea.

“That matters very little,” Haman said of the plea agreement. “I know full well there were probably more (incidents).”

Given a chance to speak, Asbury apologized for his crimes.

“Everybody thinks that I don’t care about what happened,” Asbury said. “I can’t express myself very well. I have trouble finding the words. Shame and sorrow are two that come to mind.

“I’m so ashamed I can hardly see myself in the mirror,” Asbury said, breaking into tears.

According to court documents, Asbury fondled a boy and three girls, ages 2, 5 and 7. Asbury pleaded guilty to molesting the boy and two of the girls.

Post Falls police Lt. Dick Halligan said Asbury abused the boy for two years before being discovered. The girls were molested periodically during an eight-month period that ended with Asbury’s arrest in April, Halligan said.

A woman who baby-sat the boy went to police when he began talking about the abuse. Asbury initially denied the allegations, but admitted to molesting the children while taking a lie-detector test, said Halligan.

The boy’s mother, who testified Monday, said her son, now 5, has had trouble dealing with authority since Asbury’s arrest and has terrible nightmares.

“My son has a very small chance of living a normal life at this point, in my mind,” said the boy’s mother. “He’s very depressed.”

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Lansing Haynes asked Haman to ensure the victims would become adults before they might face their abuser by imposing a 30-year sentence and ordering that Asbury serve at least 15 years in prison.

Haman said he chose to go beyond Haynes’ recommendation because no mitigating circumstances, such as drug or alcohol abuse by Asbury, existed to help explain the abuse.

The judge also ignored Deputy Public Defender Ruth Fullwiler’s request to send Asbury back to the county jail and order counseling.

“I’m convinced I have an individual who is a serious risk to society,” Haman said.

, DataTimes