Molestation draws 45 years

PALMER — Saying he demonstrated little remorse and was a danger to the public, a judge sentenced a Wasilla man Thursday to 45 years in prison for abusing three young girls.

John Malcom Groff, 67, was initially accused of nine counts of sexual abuse of a minor for abusing the girls who, at the time, were ages 9, 12 and 12. In November, he pleaded guilty to one count that consolidated all nine.

According to court documents and Superior Court Judge Vanessa White’s statements at the hearing, Groff was only out of prison a short while when the offenses occurred. He’d just finished up a lengthy term for sexually abusing a young girl.

White said that in the first moment he had alone with the victims in this case – a three-day stay at his home – he molested them.

“He offended against these children in a remote cabin. There was nowhere for them to run, nowhere for them to hide,” White said. “They had to go back to that same bed knowing what night would bring… This was terror for these girls, night after night of terror.”

Both sides in the case agreed to a 45-year prison term. White’s job Thursday was to decide on the suspended sentence – basically how much prison time Groff could be liable to serve if he lives long enough to be released then commits another crime.

Prosecutor Rick Allen argued for 45 years of suspended time, saying that sexually abusing a child is, short of murder, the worst thing one person can do to another. And Groff did it to four people.

“Seated before you in Mr. Groff you’ve got pure evil,” Allen said.

Allen said he didn’t see any remorse from Groff. In reading through statements Groff gave to police, Allen said he was shocked to something he said in reference to his first sexual abuse trial and the effect it had on his victim.

“He has the audacity, I think, to blame the state for putting [her] through this,” Allen said.

In defending Groff, Andrew Weinraub said that in fact his client had shown remorse and even accepted responsibility for his actions.

“The reason I suggest that he is not pure evil,” Weinraub said, “is that not a lot of people in Mr. Groff’s shoes, charged with crimes of this nature, end up pleading guilty.”

Groff, Weinraub pointed out, turned himself in and even agreed to a 45-year term. He had nothing to lose by going to trial — a conviction on all nine counts would have put him in prison for life. But the 45-year term he was accepting, for someone of Groff’s age, amounted to a life sentence anyway.

During his time to speak, Groff said he wasn’t evil and that he realized his actions caused untold damage to his victims and their family. He also spoke of writing he’s been doing that he wants to see published while in prison, hopefully to generate some income for his victims.

White eventually chose to impose 15 years of suspended time.

“I don’t think you’re an evil man, Mr. Groff. I really don’t. I believe that your behavior was contemptible,” White said, adding that she highly doubts that Groff is capable of rehabilitation.

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