I've often dreamt of this day, and pondered what words I could use to describe the horrific chain of events the defendant has caused by his actions.

On October 6, 2002 he put into motion a plan that forever changed the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people across this nation. He tore an 11-year-old child from his family, destroyed his innocence and attempted to end his life. He ripped the hearts from caring parents, family, relatives and friends. He stole away so many of the wonderful life experiences a boy shares with his father - learning to shave, the birds and the bees, learning to drive, his first date. Shawn was also forced to leave behind his true loves in life, baseball and his dirt bike. Both gave him great joy, and were so much more important to him than all the video and computer games the defendant could buy to take their place.

The defendant stole 1,558 days of our family's lives, and forever changed us as human beings. For 1,558 miserable days our lives were put on hold - nothing mattered except the return of our son. We were depleted physically and emotionally by our endless search, and watched our savings and retirement dwindle to nothing. Meanwhile he abused our son in ways that most people can not imagine, and forced him to endure physical and mental torment that words can't begin to describe.

He was held captive both physically and mentally; stripped of his identity and forced to be something and someone that he wasn't. He was deprived of over four years of life with his loving family and cheated out of over four years of education. Over four years of bones broken and forced to heal on their own, of ribs broken but never cared for. On January 12th we brought home the scared shell of our 11 year old boy, wrapped in the body of a 15 year old; molded by deceit and forced to endure torturous humilities that would make grown men cringe in disgust.

Now the defendant claims remorse, and says he doesn't want to put Shawn thru a trial. We see this for what is truly is - a perverted control freak's warped last ditch effort to prove he's still the one in control of Shawn's situation. The real truth is that on January 12th he ceased to be in control of our family, and never again will he be able to influence our lives, or the lives of any other innocent victims.

We can now continue on with our healing, safe in our knowledge that the monster is caged and can hurt our family no more. Although we must make ourselves content with the knowledge that the multiple life sentences that have been and remain to be imposed will ensure the defendant remains locked away from other innocent victims, our satisfaction is in the realization that when judgment day truly comes our son's abductor, attacker and tormentor will be forced to account for his time here on earth, and will be made to pay the eternal price for his horrible sins.