US doctor convicted of sex
abuse in Guatemala
By Juan Carlos Llorca (AP)
GUATEMALA - An American doctor living
in Guatemala was convicted of sexually
abusing four 10-year-old boys and sentenced
to six years in prison Monday.
Prosecutor Alex Colop said the prosecution
had wanted a longer sentence for Dr. Joshua
T. Kotouc, but sexual abuse of boys is not
eligible for longer sentences in Guatemala.
"We wanted 64 years for rape," said Colop.
"But because the abuse was against boys (and
not girls), it is not called rape but rather
dishonest abuse, and the sentence is lower."
Colop said Kotouc was arrested in 2008 with
the four boys in bed.
He said other boys also had testified
against the defendant.
"He had various groups of boys he sexually
abused," the prosecutor said, adding that
"when they got to 13 or 14 years old, he
didn't include them anymore" in the groups.
Kotouc also faces a $12,000 fine. It was
unclear whether he planned to appeal the
sentence.
Colop said Kotouc arrived in the small
Indian community of San Miguel Chicaj in
2006, where he provided medical care to
residents, apparently as a way to gain their
confidence.
Kotouc was identified as a doctor with West
Virginia University's medical school when he
was arrested in 2008, but the school said he
was on leave and not on a
university-affiliated mission. |
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