Sanford Kaplan, a former Lincoln soccer coach charged with abusing several boys over the past few years, was sentenced Friday to eight to 24 years in prison.

The 58-year old Kaplan was handed consecutive sentences by Judge Donald Rowland on seven counts of child abuse and one count of false imprisonment.

He was given one to three years on each count. Kaplan must also register as a sex offender when he is released.

"We asked the judge to sentence Mr. Kaplan to the penitentiary and he's got an eight to 24 year sentence to the penitentiary," said Chief Deputy County Attny. Joe Kelly.

Kaplan pleaded no contest and was found guilty of the charges in a plea agreement last March.

Authorities accused Kaplan of binding, blindfolding and gagging 10 to 17 year old boys and suspending some of them from the rafters of the garage at his home.

Kelly said Kaplan took his victim's innocence away.

"He preyed and used that trust relationship to do what he did," said Kelly. "In addition to that, it's fairly obvious as you review the reports that he even picked out which individuals on the team might me the most likely yo go along with what he was doing."

A parent of one of the victims, who did not want to be identified said Friday's sentencing provides closure. "Our son was too young to understand what was really going on," the parent said. "A male child never wants to admit that he was a sexual victim. I'm happy I won't see him around town, and with the sentencing, but it's not enough. My son is still severely suffering, but now hopefully he can move on from this now that this man is off the streets."

A friend of Kaplan's condemns his behavior but was present for the sentencing to provide support.

"I figured Sandy would be very, very alone in the world and so I just made a concerted effort to start to meet with him as a friend over coffee just to share life with him,' said Marty Everding.

In handing down the sentence Judge Rowland pointed out that Kaplan was himself sexually abused as a child by older boys in his neighborhood.

At the end of his sentencing, Kaplan took the opportunity to say a few words saying, "I sincerely express remorse for the things I did. I emphasize the sincerity of it. I was molested as a child, but that does not forgive the wrongness of what I did. I apologize for what I have done wrong."

And after hearing he would serve the next eight to 24 years of his life in prison, Kaplan quietly stood up and four deputies walked him out of the courtroom to go to prison.

Kaplan was a longtime youth soccer coach in Lincoln, and also coached the Lincoln Northeast High School boys soccer team.