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Goering Sentenced To 20 Years

Last updated on Thursday, May 8, 2014

(SALEM) - Former Washington County Commissioner Mike Goering who was convicted of six counts of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to 20 years, 15 of those years will be executed.

Defense attorney Mark Dove asked for a sentence that included a combination of home detention and probation; one of his arguments was that Goering has no prior criminal history.

Special Prosecutor Sonja Leerkamp accused Dove and Goering of manipulating the truth, "anything you could do to get out of this mess."

In announcing his sentence, Evans said Goering had not shown any remorse for the victim, only for what he had lost. The judge also noted that the young woman involved had suffered significant emotional injury.

"This was not just a 14-year-old, this was a 14-year-old who worked for you and trusted you," Evans told Goering.

The crime occurred on Goering's maple syrup farm in February 2013 and involved a family friend who was 14-years-old at the time of the crimes.

A jury returned guilty verdicts on all six counts on April 10th.

Goreing was arrested after the girls family reported the crime in March 2013. Gorering's Attoreny Mark Dove argued Goering didn't know the girls was under the age of 16.

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