An ex-mayor of a Northern California city will have a new home for the next few years.
Possibly seven long years if he doesn't qualify for early release.
Democrat Robert Jacob, 45, learned his fate after being found guilty of engaging in sexual activity with a minor — who was 14 at the time.
From the beginning of their interaction, Jacob knew his victim's age.
Faced with overwhelming evidence after his victim went to the authorities, Jacob pleaded no contest to the six felony charges against him. The plea deal came days before his jury trial set date.
Following the arrangement, Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez congratulated the victim for having the courage to come forward in a press release.
Jacob met the teen on the LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr while serving as mayor of Sebastopol in 2020. Over the proceeding year, he engaged in a deliberate campaign of online grooming. (RELATED: State Hasn't Classified Thousands Of Sex Offenders Thanks To Years-Long Backlog)
Eventually, Jacob enticed the boy to come over under the pretense of helping him with household chores, but where the former mayor took advantage of him in private.
Upon his release, Jacob has to register as a sex offender and may never contact his victim again.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat further reports:
The six counts were charges of procuring a child for lewd or lascivious acts; lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 15; sexual penetration with a foreign object; distribution or showing of harmful matter; contact or communication with a minor with the intent to commit a specified offense; and unlawfully arranging to meet a minor to engage in lewd and lascivious acts.
Jacob's attorney, Chris Andrian, said the defendant did not have a history of criminal activity and acknowledged he had “crossed a line.”
“He took complete, full responsibility and understood he hurt this boy,” Andrian said following the hearing.
In a written statement submitted to the court, Jacob wrote, “I want John Doe to know and understand he is not responsible for any of this and I hope that my admission of guilt and the time I spend in prison will help him heal.
Jacob added that he had a pattern of engaging in self-destructive behaviors after achieving “noteworthy success.”
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This guy pleads no contest? This guy should be prosecuted as a Pedophile and given a jail time. We need to protect our American children.
Needs 15 years hard labor
At the very least, he should be castrated. In my opinion, the death penalty should always be on the table for rapists, especially when it involves children.