After enduring years of sexual abuse, a woman finally summoned the courage to confront the man who molested her as a child. Incredibly, all it took was one phone call to finally give her abuser the justice he deserved.
From ages 11 to 16, a woman had suffered unspeakable sexual abuse at the hands of her neighbor in San Diego, California. The now 39-year-old woman, identified only as Beth R., recounted the horrors of the grooming, molestation, and rape she had endured and the nearly 30 years of PTSD and nightmares that ensued.
Haunted by the abuse, Beth decided that the only way to begin her recovery would be to see her molester receive justice. Having no proof of the heinous acts she survived, Beth knew she would have no chance of obtaining a conviction unless her abuser blatantly admitted his crimes. As such, she devised a brilliant but risky plan to get him to do just that.
In a Hail Mary move, Beth phoned 77-year-old Charles Leroy Rutledge, the man who had abused her decades ago. Cleverly, she struck up a conversation with the man, talking with the child rapist for 90 minutes. Through wit and determination, she managed to coax Rutledge to admit to every sordid act he committed in his apartment decades ago, recording his confession in the process.
“Hello, remember me?” recounted Beth R., who asked NBC 7 not to use her last name. “(Rutledge) talked and talked, and with my assistance, detailed multiple acts of sexual abuse upon (me).”
Since there is no statute of limitations on reporting child sexual abuse under California law, police arrested Rutledge on 20 counts of lewd acts and other sexual assault charges, according to KSWB-TV. Thankfully, his recorded confession was approved as evidence to support Beth’s allegations.
Beth R., now 39, said, “No apologies were given, not that I wanted one, but more notably, no remorse was expressed. The tone was cavalier. ‘I did it. There was nothing wrong with it, and I don’t regret it.’”
Ultimately, Rutledge pleaded guilty to 4 felony counts relating to the sexual assault of a child under the age of 16. He was then sentenced to 10 years in a state prison, which is less than Beth wanted but at least provided some relief.
“Do not be deceived by his age now,” Beth R. implored Judge Laura W. Halgren prior to the sentence. “My age did not matter to him then, nor does his age matter now.”
In a 30-minute impact statement, Beth recounted the trauma she has suffered as well as her journey to recovery. Just as Rutledge expressed no remorse for his victim, she showed him no mercy. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Laura W. Halgren then passed sentencing after hearing Beth’s statement.
“We are here because of a child rapist,” Beth told them. “But we are also here to honor and acknowledge a child who endured multiple hardships, horrible situations that no child should experience, that no person should experience.”
Although Rutledge has never apologized for the abuse he inflicted, he stood quietly and listened to every word Beth uttered until she was finished. Beth doesn’t believe she has been Rutledge’s only victim. However, she has found some solace in knowing that he won’t be able to hurt any other children.
“It’s hard to say how everybody heals from being victimized — if we want to use that word — but it could mean closure for some, and it could mean the beginning of a process for some and reconcile with their past,” Beth said after the hearing. “It’s empowering to get to the point where you have a balance of what you want to say, what you need to say, and your feelings supporting that as a strong individual, not the child who was hurt, though you feel extreme empathy for that past self,” Beth said.
The prosecutor confirmed that Rutledge will serve at least 8 and a half years before he is eligible for parole. He will be 85 before he ever steps foot out of prison. If he even survives long enough to see his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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