12 years for abuse

PALMER — Saying he’d only just realized the full extent of the damage he caused, a Chugiak man accepted a 12-year prison sentence Monday for a years-long sexual relationship he had with an underage girl.

Joshua Peter Mead, 31, sat bearded and humble, wearing yellow prison clothes as attorneys in the case hashed out how to punish him for what he’d done, starting when his victim, a Palmer girl, was 13.

His wife, Shannon Mead, 25, is also facing criminal charges. Prosecutors say she knew of, and at times participated in, her husband’s abuse of the girl. It began in 2004 and didn’t end until the girl was 17. Both Meads were arrested in June 2009. Shannon Mead is not set to receive her sentence until November.

Monday’s proceedings began with statements from four people who identified themselves as Mead’s victims, starting with the girl, who has since reached adulthood.

“Joshua Mead is an expert at lies and pretense,” the woman said, pointing out that, at the time, she was home-schooled and led a relatively sheltered existence. “There was no school nurse or trusted friend I could go to.”

She said Mead had choked and handcuffed her at times and that she has post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.

Her husband testified next, saying he’d always suspected there was something in his wife’s past she didn’t want to talk about. He found out what it was the same day he proposed.

“My perfect day had crashed down in flames,” he said.

The two other statements came from the woman’s mother and father-in-law. Mead spoke for himself not long after the victims had their say.

“There’s really no defense I can offer for what I did,” he said. “I hurt a lot of people very deeply. I have been trying to comprehend how deeply and I didn’t until I heard these statements.”

Assistant District Attorney Trina Sears conceded that the 12-year term she’d agreed to with Mead’s attorney is on the higher end for the second-degree sexual abuse of a minor charge to which Mead pleaded guilty. She said it was appropriate nonetheless. Mead’s actions needed to be condemned.

“She was a sheltered child and Joshua Mead preyed upon her and used that against her,” Sears said.

Though he didn’t dispute the sentence, Mead’s attorney, John Richard, argued his client is not beyond redemption.

“Unlike almost all the folks that are facing charges like this, he has remained constant in the acknowledgement of his guilt,” Richard said before addressing the sentence. “Is it long enough to make up for the harm that has been caused to this individual? No, and it never could be.”

One thing the two lawyers did dispute was whether Mead should be able to have contact with his wife after both were released from prison. Orders that convicted felons may not associate with other felons are relatively common. But there is often an exception for a spouse.

Sears argued that this case was different than most. The Meads had participated in the abuse together. Richard argued that case law clearly favors allowing spouses to have contact with one another.

Superior Court Judge Gregory Heath, for the most part sided with Richard, though he did note that a no-contact order is likely appropriate until both court cases have closed.

“At this point in time we still have a couple that are married and if they choose to go forward in this relationship they are free to do that,” Heath said.

As for the sentence, the judge accepted it as appropriate and said he sympathized greatly with Mead’s victim.

“She lost her childhood; that was the saddest thing to look at,” Heath said. “I wish her the best of luck.”

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.