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Child molester may end his days in prison
By CARY DAVIS, Times Staff Writer NEW PORT RICHEY -- A Shady Hills man pleaded guilty Wednesday to molesting three children over a 13-year period and accepted a deal with prosecutors that likely ensures he will die in prison. The agreement calls for Edward Joseph Thaler, 62, to serve 37 years in prison. Thaler pleaded guilty to three first-degree felony counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. Circuit Judge W. Lowell Bray approved the deal, which also calls for Thaler to serve 10 years of probation after he gets out of prison. It was an emotional day for the three victims, now adults in their mid to late 30s, who decided to come forward after keeping the abuse a secret for decades. They said they were satisfied with the outcome because Thaler must serve 85 percent of his sentence, which means he would be older than 90 before he is eligible for release. "He deserves to be there for life," said one victim, a 36-year-old woman. "He needs to die there." The case was unusual because of the amount of time that elapsed between the abuse and the arrest in February 2001. The victims, who are not being identified by the Times because of the nature of the crime, said they have struggled since childhood to overcome the memories of the abuse. The only way to heal, they said they had decided last year, was to go public with the abuse. Authorities in Pasco and Manatee counties filed charges after Thaler confessed, according to reports. The Manatee charges still are pending. Thaler admitted that he forced the victims to have sexual contact with him on at least 400 occasions, according to reports. The abuse, which began in 1973 and lasted until 1986, included oral sex and fondling, authorities said. The youngest victim, now a 34-year-old man, was 4 when the abuse started. The victims praised Pasco sheriff's Detective James Browning for building a strong case against Thaler. Thaler kept his head bowed throughout Wednesday's hearing, never looking at the victims. The victims wept and held hands, hardly taking their eyes off Thaler. "We needed to heal," one victim told the judge. "He has made our lives miserable." -- Cary Davis covers courts in west Pasco County. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6236, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6236. His e-mail address is cbdavis@sptimes.com.
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From today's Pasco Times Letters |
