In a sentencing memorandum filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the U. S. Attorney's Office sought a 15-year sentence for Uriah Behl, 40, Carthage, who pleaded guilty May 27 to sexual exploitation of a child.
Behl's sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. October 6 in Springfield.
When Uriah’s father did come home, he would drink himself into a rage. He would verbally abuse his children while throwing furniture and objects against the walls. At night, all the children would fearfully listen to their father going after their mother. Uriah remembers listening to his mother’s screams as his father struck her. His father’s rage was exacerbated further after he lost his tugboat license and work became scarce. He was a tempest that made everyone at home constantly fear when he would explode next.
As Justice Rehnquist stated in Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 789 (1982), “A stable, loving home life is essential to a child’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well- being. It requires no citation of authority to assert that children who are abused in their youth generally face extraordinary problems developing into responsible, productive citizens.”
At school, it was discovered very early on that Uriah had a severe learning disability, and he was placed in special education classes for the duration of his academic career. He had problems reading, often having to reread sentences repeatedly before comprehending what he had just read. He had both short and long-term memory loss issues that further compounded his learning disability. Eventually, he graduated with the assistance of an individualized education plan.
At some point during his elementary school years, he suffered from a double-ear infection during a time when a hurricane struck the coast near his hometown of Golden Meadow, Louisiana. The hurricane delayed Uriah’s medical treatment to the point that he suffered severe scarring, permanently reducing his hearing by 10-15% in both ears.
Uriah had other physical health issues that further isolated him from his peers in school. Asthma prevented him from participating in many activities and sports while growing up. Uriah’s vision also began deteriorating. He is both near and far sighted, and a particular stigmatism causes him to see double-images. He has problems looking at an electronic screen or watching television because the bright light causes pain after thirty minutes or so, often leading to migraines. The medical staff at Ozark County jail has had. to administer eye drops to him at least twice per day as his eyes become extremely
bloodshot throughout the day. He also struggles with high blood pressure, arthritis, and migraines.
Despite all these many issues, Uriah has been able to support himself financially. At first, Uriah did factory and construction work. Later, he found a full-time job with the Tarzan Zerbini Circus. While a manual labor job at the circus won’t impress many, it is impressive that he has had the fortitude to stay gainfully employed for the last 15 years at the same job.
Uriah understands that all these mitigating circumstances of his childhood are facts that do not excuse his criminal conduct in this case, but they may provide some underlying reasons for his actions in the first place. His childhood was anything but normal or nurturing.
Now, Uriah has a strong understanding of his behavior and the need for counseling to make long-term improvements in his life skills and decision making. For any sentence to be effective in this situation there must be adequate sex offender counseling and treatment. A sentence of 180 months will be sufficient for this purpose.
Mr. Behl has accepted responsibility for his actions in this case. He regrets his actions and has expressed remorse for any difficulties his actions have inflicted on others. He also pled guilty knowing he would receive a long sentence. As a result of his admissions, he has saved the government from having to expend any further resources in his prosecution.
In addition to a sentence of imprisonment, this Court must order a sentence of supervised release of five years to life with very strict supervision restrictions. In addition to the mandatory and standard conditions of supervision, Uriah will have additional special conditions as a sex offender on federal supervision.
Behl, a long-time employee of the Tarzan Zerbini Circus, admitted to secretly recording a naked child in the circus showers.
In the memo, the government said the 15-year sentence was a just and fair one, something it said Behl had acknowledged.
The memorandum detailed Behl's difficult childhood something it said explained Behl's actions, but did not excuse them.
Uriah had a difficult childhood due to his father’s mental health, alcohol abuse, and domestic violence he inflicted on the entire family. His father, a tugboat captain, was a terrible alcoholic who was often away from the household for months. That left Uriah’s mother to care for all five children on whatever meager money his father left her before leaving again.When Uriah’s father did come home, he would drink himself into a rage. He would verbally abuse his children while throwing furniture and objects against the walls. At night, all the children would fearfully listen to their father going after their mother. Uriah remembers listening to his mother’s screams as his father struck her. His father’s rage was exacerbated further after he lost his tugboat license and work became scarce. He was a tempest that made everyone at home constantly fear when he would explode next.
As Justice Rehnquist stated in Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 789 (1982), “A stable, loving home life is essential to a child’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well- being. It requires no citation of authority to assert that children who are abused in their youth generally face extraordinary problems developing into responsible, productive citizens.”
At school, it was discovered very early on that Uriah had a severe learning disability, and he was placed in special education classes for the duration of his academic career. He had problems reading, often having to reread sentences repeatedly before comprehending what he had just read. He had both short and long-term memory loss issues that further compounded his learning disability. Eventually, he graduated with the assistance of an individualized education plan.
At some point during his elementary school years, he suffered from a double-ear infection during a time when a hurricane struck the coast near his hometown of Golden Meadow, Louisiana. The hurricane delayed Uriah’s medical treatment to the point that he suffered severe scarring, permanently reducing his hearing by 10-15% in both ears.
Uriah had other physical health issues that further isolated him from his peers in school. Asthma prevented him from participating in many activities and sports while growing up. Uriah’s vision also began deteriorating. He is both near and far sighted, and a particular stigmatism causes him to see double-images. He has problems looking at an electronic screen or watching television because the bright light causes pain after thirty minutes or so, often leading to migraines. The medical staff at Ozark County jail has had. to administer eye drops to him at least twice per day as his eyes become extremely
bloodshot throughout the day. He also struggles with high blood pressure, arthritis, and migraines.
Despite all these many issues, Uriah has been able to support himself financially. At first, Uriah did factory and construction work. Later, he found a full-time job with the Tarzan Zerbini Circus. While a manual labor job at the circus won’t impress many, it is impressive that he has had the fortitude to stay gainfully employed for the last 15 years at the same job.
Uriah understands that all these mitigating circumstances of his childhood are facts that do not excuse his criminal conduct in this case, but they may provide some underlying reasons for his actions in the first place. His childhood was anything but normal or nurturing.
Now, Uriah has a strong understanding of his behavior and the need for counseling to make long-term improvements in his life skills and decision making. For any sentence to be effective in this situation there must be adequate sex offender counseling and treatment. A sentence of 180 months will be sufficient for this purpose.
Mr. Behl has accepted responsibility for his actions in this case. He regrets his actions and has expressed remorse for any difficulties his actions have inflicted on others. He also pled guilty knowing he would receive a long sentence. As a result of his admissions, he has saved the government from having to expend any further resources in his prosecution.
In addition to a sentence of imprisonment, this Court must order a sentence of supervised release of five years to life with very strict supervision restrictions. In addition to the mandatory and standard conditions of supervision, Uriah will have additional special conditions as a sex offender on federal supervision.
These restrictions and conditions, in combination with his federal and state registration requirements, will continually remind Uriah of his responsibility to be diligent in his compliance with the treatment and supervision requirements.
Uriah is receiving his first felony conviction, but he is already determined that it will be his last conviction. The last 11 months in county jail have been extremely tough for him, especially with his many physical issues. A sentence of 180 months is the just and fair one in this case. Any further imprisonment would be greater than necessary to satisfy the goals of the Sentencing Reform Act. It is a sentence that protects the public, provides a lengthy punishment, and provides sufficient time for Uriah to complete all sex offender programs available in the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
Uriah is receiving his first felony conviction, but he is already determined that it will be his last conviction. The last 11 months in county jail have been extremely tough for him, especially with his many physical issues. A sentence of 180 months is the just and fair one in this case. Any further imprisonment would be greater than necessary to satisfy the goals of the Sentencing Reform Act. It is a sentence that protects the public, provides a lengthy punishment, and provides sufficient time for Uriah to complete all sex offender programs available in the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
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