A Hesperus man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting a child as a pattern of abuse.
Edmund Marx, 64, made no comment before sentencing and showed no reaction to the sentence handed down by 6th Judicial District Judge William Herringer.
A jury in January convicted Marx of six felonies related to sexual assault on a child. The assaults occurred over a course of a couple of years in the Hesperus area. The seven-day trial focused on three or four incidents that occurred in early 2014.
It was the second trial for Marx after the first one ended in a mistrial.
Marx was facing eight to 24 years in prison on the most serious charge, involving sexual assault on a child as a pattern of abuse.
The charge carries an indeterminate-to-life sentence, meaning whatever sentence Judge Herringer imposed Wednesday set a base limit for imprisonment; after that, a parole board will determine if Marx is rehabilitated or should stay behind bars.
If he is released, Marx will likely be on parole for the rest of his life and must register as a sex offender.
Marx touched an underage girl’s breasts, put his hands down her pants and kissed her on multiple occasions, said Assistant District Attorney Christian Champagne. The victim was meek, quiet and made for the perfect victim, he said.
Marx confessed in writing and in recorded interviews with investigators, but he recanted those confessions after learning the seriousness of the charges and potential consequences, Champagne said.
Since then, he has refused to take responsibility, including in a sex-offender evaluation, which found Marx to be at a low risk for recidivism.
But Marx is highly intelligent, ranking in the top 5 percent of the population, and he used his ability to manipulate the screening process, Champagne said.
He asked that Marx be sentenced to 10-15 years in prison.
His public defense attorney, Sarah Hildebrand, said Marx is appealing the convictions.
She asked that Marx be given eight years in prison, saying research has shown the quicker someone receives sex-offender rehabilitation, the more effective it is.
She also said Marx is at low risk for reoffending.
But Judge Herringer expressed little confidence in the risk-assessment tests, saying they’re only effective if the defendant is honest, and he questioned Marx’s honesty in the interview process.
shane@durangoherald.com