GILLETTE — A Gillette man who confessed to sexually molesting three young girls during a polygraph test for a job at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office was sentenced Monday to 24 years in prison.
Bradley Robert Hudson II, 19, told investigators that his sexual behavior with young girls began when he was a child himself — younger than 10 — and continued off and on through the age of 18. His victims were all juveniles, younger than him, pre-teen and younger during the crimes.
Hudson’s confession came during a pre-employment polygraph test for a job as a jail officer with the sheriff’s office. It was a test that Hudson knew would have such questions, his parents said during court testimony Monday, and they believe it was his way of crying out for help.
The initial charges in Hudson’s case numbered 25 felony-level child sex charges, 12 of them punishable by up to 15 years in prison with fines of up to $10,000 each.
Thirteen of the charges were punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines for each. In total, he was facing 310 years and up to $250,000 in fines.
However, Hudson agreed to plead guilty to three charges related to the sexual abuse of young girls in a plea deal.
While Hudson’s parents and his public defender Brandon Booth argued for leniency on those three remaining charges, prosecutor Nathan Henkes asked the judge to maintain at least a four- to eight-year sentence for each, and to run them consecutively rather than concurrently, for a total of up to 24 years in prison.
Hudson would be 43 at the end of such a sentence.
Henkes said he looked at the nature of the charges, the facts and circumstances surrounding the offenses, in making his recommendation.
“In regards to the recency of the conduct and how often that happened, it appeared to be on a monthly basis,” Henkes said. “The polygrapher asked if there were times he applied pressure to the (victims), and he admitted that there was at least one time and that the incidents had taken place in many different locations.”
A Chance To Earn Leniency
Judge Matthew Castano followed Henkes' recommendation with one caveat: The 19-year-old will have a chance to earn a lighter sentence through successful performance in the Youthful Offenders Transition Program.
Castano set fines at $100 for each of the charges, with $150 for the victim’s compensation fund for each charge as well. There were also other, typical fees, like $40 for the court automation fee and $75 for the substance abuse assessment fee.
Hudson’s case, Castano said, has troubled him and has been on his mind for quite some time.
“On one hand, I have a 19-year-old young man with a clean record,” he said. “On the other, I have offenses that go to the fundamental fabric of our society. They tear at it.”
Castano said he does not believe the contention from their parents that the victims, none older than 14, are experiencing no immediate, traumatic impacts at the present time.
“We know that there are, and there will be going forward,” he said. “And we know that it’s a circumstance and it’s an act — a series of acts — that have to be condemned, loudly and clearly.”
In giving Hudson a chance to earn a lighter sentence, Castano said he is not making any particular commitment at this time. He wants to see what Hudson will do to earn his way back into society.
“What you do or what you fail to do, the insight you gain, the skills you learn, or the insight that you fail to gain and the skills you fail to learn will weigh heavily upon further consideration,” the judge said. “I suspect you’ll do very well in the Youthful Offenders Program, but you need to be aware that if, for some reason you do not do well and you are separated from that program, that you’re looking at each of these counts stacked one upon the next.”
Mother’s Testimony
Castano’s sentence followed tearful testimony from Hudson’s mother, Shannon Hudson, who argued for leniency on her son’s behalf.
“I come to you as mom,” she said.
“Anyone who knows me knows my children are my world,” she added. “I have often commented that God blessed me with so many children to continue to humble me and teach me lessons that I’m too hard-headed to learn on my own.”
Shannon Hudson told the judge that the victims have forgiven her son and have been in counseling.
“I love you, Lee, and I hope to see you really soon,” she said, reading a statement she said was from one of the victims. "Everyone makes mistakes, and I forgive you.”
Broken Trust
Hudson, in his brief statement, was unequivocal in accepting that he had done wrong and did not ask for leniency.
“I want everyone to know that I know it was a crime,” he said. “But more importantly, I want (my victims) to know it was wrong before God. I would just like to take this time to say how sorry I am and to ask for their forgiveness.”
Hudson said he knew at the time that what he was doing was wrong.
“I broke the trust of those I should have protected most,” he said. “That sin is going to stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Hudson said he believes he must still face the consequences of his action.
“Today, I’m prepared to do just that,” he said. “To take my consequences without complaining.”
The only thing he hopes for is the chance to prove he can learn from his mistakes and go down a different path.
“I’m hoping to be able to talk to counselors and therapists and get some help walking through this,” he said. “I would just like to say I’m sorry.”
A Cry For Help
Shannon Hudson told the judge she also hoped Castano would take into consideration the fact that Hudson realized all those questions were going to be on the polygraph test he was taking for the position at the jail.
Yet, he chose to proceed with the test and to answer those questions truthfully because he wanted help.
He has been constantly asking for help ever since, she added.
“The day of your first arraignment, you told the judge you needed help,” she said. “While here in the Gillette jail, you often asked for help. You have taught me that there are still people in this world who are honest and mature enough to take responsibility for their actions.”
While heartbroken with what Hudson did, Shannon said she is still proud that he wasn’t caught or turned in, but confessed to his crimes and turned himself in.
“You were pretty much nonverbal until you were 3,” she said. “(We) had crazy long fights when you were younger, thanks to your borderline autism and Asperger’s.”
Those conditions made life difficult not just for Hudson, but everyone around him who loved him, she added, and pushed everyone to their limits.
“I’m proud of you for turning to God and seeking to please him and trusting he has a plan,” she said.
‘Under God’s Control Now'
Shannon also suggested that some aspects of the case have been unfair.
“I don’t understand how a crime of inappropriate touch gets the same title and severity as rape,” she said. “I don’t understand when someone turns themselves in, they get treated the same as if they got caught, as they were trying to get help, so it didn’t become worse.”
She said her son’s accomplishments and public service needed to be considered.
“Yes, he did wrong, but your honor, he’s also done so much more right,” she said. "He’s been a huge asset to the community, doing community service for the church, for 4H, for the elderly, for the homeless, for Red Hats, for the veterans.”
After the sentence was handed down, family members stayed in the courtroom to hug each other through their tears, with Shannon hugging her son twice before he was taken away.
“It’s under God’s control now,” Shannon told Cowboy State Daily as she left the courthouse. “It’s under God’s control.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
