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Yesterday, Scott Bass was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping and child abuse charges for locking his 14-year-old daughter in a bathroom for more than two months.
Per his plea deal, Bass faced up to 17 years in prison — and New Times readers apparently weren’t too fond of the 15-year sentence he received.
See our story on Bass’ sentencing — and our readers’ comments — here.
Given the circumstances of Bass’ case — barely feeding the girl, beating her with metal rods, forcing her to exercise to the point of exhaustion, leaving a bucket of urine in the bathroom with her, etc. — it’s pretty easy to say “throw away the key.”
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But Bass is so sorry he tortured his daughter and just wishes he could tell her how sorry he really is (he says while standing in front of a judge, mind you).
“I don’t know how to begin to explain how sorry I am for what I did to my daughter,” he told Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Paul McMurdie prior to his sentencing. “I wanna tell my daughter I’m so sorry that I failed her.”
Again, despite the realities of sentencing guidelines and plea bargain negotiations, it’s easy to say “throw away the key,” regardless of how sorry Bass is now — he had two months to be sorry as his teenage daughter was locked in a piss-filled bathroom.
We want to know what you think, though: is 15 years enough for Scott Bass?
Cast your vote below.
