Sikeston man receives consecutive life terms

Graphic photographic evidence and compelling testimony justified consecutive sentencing for Jake Kenneth Pruitt, 48, of Sikeston, Mo., court officials said.

Pruitt was sentenced to four life terms on four counts of first-degree sodomy and 15 years for one count of child molestation, which was handed down by circuit court Judge Benjamin Lewis at a sentencing hearing Monday afternoon in Cape Girardeau.

Sue Boresi of the Missouri attorney general's office served as special prosecutor. Public defender Brandon Sanchez represented Pruitt.

A jury found him guilty of the charges on July 27 and recommended the sentence on July 28. The conviction arose from an overnight stay in May 2003, when Pruitt offered to babysit for a friend. The child was 5 years old at the time of the incident.

Sanchez asked for concurrent sentencing and offered opposition to consecutive sentencing on behalf of Pruitt.

Sanchez said that the court gave no weight to the sexual offender assessment test, citing inaccuracies in Pruitt's weight, marital status, number of siblings and education. Also, Pruitt suggested that during the pre-sentencing investigation, police officers inaccurately reported that he used various types of drugs before his arrest, Sanchez said.

Lewis overruled the suggestions and said that the evidence presented during the trial overwhelmed the cited discrepancies.

Pruitt was originally charged with eight counts of sexual deviance, of which Lewis chose three to be tried on March 14 and 15. The charges involved three counts of sodomy with a child who was 7 years old at the time of the incident.