Former Aurora Police chief William Gage received a sentence of eight to twelve years behind bars for his plea of no contest to a charge of sexually assaulting a minor. Gage had served as Aurora Police chief for nearly twenty years before retiring in 1998.
The charge stemmed from an incident involving a 15 year old boy last summer.
Gage's attorney said in court that Gage had shown consideration in sparing the youth the ordeal of a trial, but prosecution pushed for a stiff sentence.
Prosecutor Jo Petersen: "We didn't get the sentence we asked for, but we got a substantial sentence that I thought was appropriate. It's a very difficult case; there are no winners here. We still have a victim who is going to be living with this for his entire life, and so I thought the sentence was appropriate."
Gage's attorney sought leniency from the Hamilton County District Court judge, detailing Gage's financial and family difficulties, and presenting letters from area residents attesting to Gage's character.
The prosecution, however, argued for prison over probation.
Prosecutor Jo Petersen: "Probation was not an option, we didn't believe in this case. This is an extremely serious crime, and there is no way we felt probation should even be an option."
The next step in the Gage case is for the state to determine where and at what institution he will serve his time.
