Booking photo for Brayden M. Kersavage (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 20-year-old Trenton man has been sentenced to jail for sexting with an underage girl. Brayden M. Kersavage apologized and blamed his actions on being “young and stupid.”
Kersavage was sentenced during a virtual hearing in 1st District Court Monday afternoon, appearing by web conference. He previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, amended to a third-degree felony.
Kersavage was arrested by Logan City police officers in February. He had been exchanging photos with the victim through a social media app that would display messages temporarily. The defendant would then use a second phone to record the photos before they were deleted. Later he would pose as the girl online and exchange the photos with other people.
During Monday’s sentencing, public defender Mike McGinnis said Kersavage is a good young man and seeking treatment for a sexual addiction. He noted that most of the crimes occurred while his client was a juvenile.
Kersavage acknowledged knowing what he had done was wrong. He tearfully said he couldn’t apologize enough.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck said she had a hard time with Kersavage’s excuse of being young and senseless. She noted how the defendant was trading pornographic pictures involving children between the ages of 3-13.
Judge Fonnesbeck angrily told Kersavage, how the victim will suffer forever since the pictures are now on the internet and can’t be removed. She sentenced him to serve 120 days in jail, giving him no credit for time already served. After being released, he will be on probation for 48 months.
“This is not what we do in our community,” Judge Fonnesbeck said to Kersavage. “I have to ensure you get the message.”