US District Judge Tanya Pratt sentenced Jared Fogle, the famous former Subway spokesman, to 15 years in federal prison, after he pleaded guilty to a single count each of traveling to conduct illegal sexual conduct with a minor, and distribution/receipt of child pornography.
Fogle agreed to a plea deal last summer after federal agents raided his home in Indianapolis.
The plea deal stated that Fogle’s lawyers would not try to get a sentence of under five years, and that prosecutors would agree to a sentence of no more than 12.5 years behind bars. The judge could have sentenced Fogle to 50 years.
The 38 year old Fogle admitted that he paid for sex with adolescents that were 16 and 17, and he also admitted to viewing child pornography that was produced by a former employee of his.
During sentencing, Fogle informed the judge that he greatly regretted what he had done, and that his criminal conduct had wrecked his career, his marriage, his children, and his victims. He added that he will never be able to change what he did but he would try to be a much better person when he is released from federal prison.
Mental Professionals Testify
The psychiatrist who interviewed Fogle stated during hearing that the former Subway spokesman has a variety of mental disorders, including hypersexuality, ‘mild’ pedophilia, and also abuses alcohol.
A psychologist, John Bradford from the University of Ottawa, testified by telephone at the sentencing hearing that Fogle suffered from a serious eating disorder in the past. When he stopped eating excessively during and after his weight loss, he began to develop hypersexuality that caused him to crave sexual acts from underarge females.
Bradford noted that Fogle admitted to him that he engaged in sex with 16-17 year old girls and used prostitutes as well. He told the court that Fogle admitted also to having masturbation fantasies about having sex with prepubescent females, but he apparently did not act upon these impulses.
Judge Blasts Fogle’s Criminal Acts
Judge Pratt noted during sentencing that Fogle had had such a gift as a professional spokesman for a large corporation, but had wasted it. He also threw away his reputation and marriage, she added.
Pratt told the court that she thought that Fogle had shown genuine remorse, and that she believed he would seek psychological counseling in prison. However the judge cut him off when he read his personal statement at sentencing.
Fogle had noted that members of his family, including his wife, were victims of what he had done. Pratt interrupted him saying, ‘your wife got $7 million of your earnings, so she will be fine.’
Cringe-Inducing Details Emerge in Trial
Testimony informed the jury during the trial that Fogle had spent more than $12,000 per year on prostitutes. Fogle also was found to have known one of his sexual victims well enough that he could point her out just by looking at her naked chest.
The prosecutor, Steven DeBrota, and a witness read some of the thousands of text messages that Fogle had traded with some of his victims and ‘pimps,’ some of whom were 18 year old women.
Fogle asked in one text if the young woman had found young boys and girls. Fogle texted that he would pay $400 or more for an adolescent 16 or younger.
Sexually Depraved Life Unravels
Fogle’s life began to fall apart in late April when Indianapolis police arrested Russell Taylor, who once was the head of the Jared Foundation. The charges were for child pornography.
However, Fogle’s obsession with sex with minors went back at least seven more years, which was a year before Taylor joined the Foundation. Fogle often went online to sites that advertised erotic services and female escorts. He apparently engaged in illicit sex when he was on the road during various business trips for Subway.
After Taylor joined Fogle’s foundation, prosecutors stated, Fogle began to engage in more illegal sexual activities. He viewed illegal images that were recorded by Taylor in his home. He had hidden cameras around his home, with which he recorded children from 9-16 changing, showering and taking a bath.
After the sentencing, a federal marshal handcuffed Fogle and took him out of the federal courtroom. Fogle will be at least 51 years old when he leaves prison. He also must pay at least $1.4 million in restitution to a dozen victims.
About Federal Charges Involving Sex Crimes
Federal sex crimes usually involve crimes against those who are not able to give consent under state or federal law. This includes minors under 18 and those whose ability to give consent is hindered by a mental or medical condition. The majority of sex crimes involving a minor can involve many separate federal charges, including child pornography.