Abegg sentenced for sex abuse

Mike Abegg, formerly of Sisters, was sentenced on October 14 for molesting a 12-year-old girl.

Abegg has been in Deschutes County Jail since Tuesday, October 8, when he pleaded guilty to the felony of Attempted Sex Abuse I and the Class A misdemeanor of Sex Abuse III.

The guilty pleas came as the result of negotiations between Abegg and the family of the Sisters victim. This substantially reduced the number of counts against Abegg, decreasing the counts below a "Measure 11" threshold that would have sent him to prison for years. However, the agreement guaranteed that he would be registered as a sex offender.

During the investigation of the Sisters incident, a family in the Portland area came forward and said Abegg had molested their 12-year-old daughter three years before, according to the parents of the Sisters victim. No charges were filed in that case.

In Deschutes County Court, the mother of the Sisters girl read a letter from her daughter to Abegg.

"You got what you wanted, now I get what I want..." she wrote. The letter rang not only of anger, but also a sense of loss, since Abegg's daughter had been her best friend. The two families had been quite close. The girl was angry not only with Abegg, but also with his wife, Gail.

The victim's family says Gail Abegg covered up the previous sex abuse incident, and tried to cover up this one as well.

"She left kids home alone with him. Her kids and our kids were in danger," said the mother outside the court room.

The girl's mother told the court that her daughter had "stopped (Abegg) from hurting her and stopped him from hurting anybody else" by telling her parents what happened.

The girl had been warned of "stranger danger," but it had never occurred to the mother to warn her daughter of friends such as the Abeggs. "He took her innocence and her sense of security," the mother said.

Abegg himself mostly looked forward, eyes down, as the statements were made.

The girl's father explained that the family had some goals approaching trial. They did not want their daughter, now 13, to have to sit at the witness stand "and describe what he did." They also wanted Abegg to admit what had happened and be registered as a sex offender.

The victim's family gave up the right to sue Abegg in civil court for his actions and the damage they caused. In return, they got the guarantee of the guilty plea.

"We would love for our world to be back what it was 15 months ago, but it can't (be)," said the girl's father.

In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Alta Brady told Abegg that by negotiating a plea agreement with the victim's family, "You got lucky. The conduct you engaged in deserved ... prison."

Instead, Abegg will serve a total 30 days in the county jail. He will be on supervised probation for five years. He must complete sex offender treatment, and register as a sex offender in Oregon.

Abegg is to have no contact with minors other than his own children without the written authorization of his parole officer or treatment professional. He may travel out of Oregon only as it pertains to his work. He may not use a computer except in his job and may not possess any pornography.

The bail posted by Abegg, $10,000, was released by the court to the family for the care of his victim, and he was to pay another $1,450 into the crime victim's fund, which provided some counseling for the abused girl.