Man given 12 years in prison for sex crimes

NEWARK – A Newark man was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison for a variety of sex crimes; his victims said justice was served.

James K. Busby, 50, last known address 40 W. Stevens St., entered Alford guilty pleas to three counts of gross sexual imposition, one count of rape and two counts of sexual battery Monday afternoon in front of Judge Thomas Marcelain.

Busby originally was charged with 32 counts, which carried a maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison.

Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt said Busby engaged in a pattern of behavior with both victims while they were juveniles that escalated as they got older. The behaviors began when the victims were younger than 10 years old in the early 1990s and continued until they were 18.

Oswalt said the victims, who are now adults, are “two courageous young women.”

“For years, they thought nothing would come of what happened to them,” Oswalt said.

Both victims spoke in court, telling Marcelain they wanted to heal and were happy with the sentence.

“All I really need is closure,” one of the victims said. “I think justice has been served.”

Busby did not offer any statement in court and did not look at the victims as they spoke.

The plea deal was discussed in Marcelain’s chambers several hours before the actual plea hearing took place. Busby had been scheduled to go to trial July 7.

Oswalt said dropping some of the charges was partially for legal reasons, eliminating some possible appeal options Busby might have been able to try to use in the future. Several of the counts that were dismissed would have merged with counts that Busby would be sentenced on as part of the plea deal.

The Alford pleas allow Busby to maintain that he did not commit the crime, but recognize that should the case have gone to trial, he likely would have been convicted.

As part of his sentence, Busby will have to register as a sexually oriented offender for 10 years after his release. Oswalt agreed to take no position on a judicial release motion after Busby has served the mandatory period of his prison sentence, if his conduct is appropriate in prison, according to the plea deal.