Man sentenced to life for sex with underage girls

James Jacob Houser, 22, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms on Monday for having sex with underage girls.

The sentences were imposed on Houser’s guilty plea to two counts. But testimony including from four different parents, charged that he had sex with five different girls ranging from 12-14 years old, impregnating one of the victims and giving four a sexually transmitted disease.

Two of the victims were unconscious from drugs or alcohol he provided when Houser assaulted them, according to testimony.

Prosecutor Orrin Johnson said Houser contacted at least two of the victims through social media. He said there were “multiple incidents” and that Houser had sex with some of the victims multiple times, supplying the girls with alcohol and drugs to get his way.

The crimes, both Category A felonies, carry mandatory life sentences. The only option Judge Todd Russell had was whether they would run concurrently or consecutively. He rejected Houser’s lawyer’s argument that his client pleaded guilty to spare the victims from having to testify.

“I think Mr. Houser took the deal to avoid being in prison forever,” Russell said pointing out there were at least five victims, not just two.

Houser won’t be eligible for parole until he has served at least 27 years in prison.

“My entire family feels violated by this predator,” said the mother of one victim. “You don’t deserve to walk the streets in any community again.”

“The hardest thing to ever happen to a parent is to have something like this happen to your child,” said the father of another victim.

The mother of another victim read her daughter’s letter in court saying: “You are the person my parents warned me about all my life. I woke out of a dead sleep wondering why this person was on top of me.”

“There’s got to be something very, very terrible in your mind to think this is OK,” said the grandmother of one victim.

Houser was arrested in July and entered a guilty plea to two counts in the case in November.

Since Category A felonies aren’t eligible for good time credits, Houser will have to serve the full 27 year minimum before being eligible for parole.

Editor’s note: This story was updated from its original version to clarify information about one of the victims.