Jeffrey David Netherwood jail booking photo. (Photo: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A 23-year-old Logan man has been sentenced to one year in jail and four years probation after confessing to engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Jeffrey David Netherwood was immediately taken into custody after telling the court he had messed up.
Netherwood was sentenced Monday afternoon in 1st District Court. He previously accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, dealing in materials harmful to a minor, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, all third-degree felonies; along with two counts of enticing a minor by internet or text, a class A misdemeanor.
In January, the victim’s mother called Cache County Sheriff’s deputies after finding sexual messages on her daughter’s phone. The videos and photos showed the girl and Netherwood engaging in various sexual acts.
Investigators interviewed the teenage girl at the Cache Children’s Justice Center. She confirmed that she had been having an ongoing relationship with Netherwood. She also disclosed that they had exchanged nude pictures and videos of one another.
During Monday’s sentencing, defense attorney Wayne Caldwell acknowledged that his client had made some “poor choices.” He explained though, Netherwood wasn’t looking to have a sexual relationship with a teenager, and only met the victim after she signed up for an adult dating site.
The victim’s mother and grandmother described Netherwood as a predator, who had wreaked havoc on their lives. They asked the court to sentence the defendant to prison “so he won’t hurt anyone else.”
The victim also testified how Netherwood knew she was 14. She claimed that after telling him her age, he replied, “that’s a plot twist,” but then continued the relationship.
Netherwood said the last eight months have been “rock bottom.” He asked the court for leniency, explaining that he would live with what he did for the rest of his life.
Judge Spencer Walsh said he hoped the victim could heal from the predatory nature of the defendant. He sentenced Netherwood to one year in jail, followed by 48 months probation. He also ordered the defendant to be placed on the sex-offender registry, have no contact with the victim or minors, undergo mental health treatment, and have no access to social media, dating sites, pornography or the internet.
will@cvradio.com