Jacob Mut Bolith, was sentenced by a Utah Judge to 15 years in jail and to pay restitution for the sex crimes he committed on nursing home residents. Bolith plead guilty to second-degree felony forcible sex abuse of an 85-year-old woman in a nursing home where he was employed.

Bolith’s attorney Clayton Simms asked the Judge to sentence his client for 365 days in addition to the 389 days he has already served. He asked for leniency because Bolith is a Sudanese refugee who was displaced from his home and spent time in Ethiopia and Kenya before he came to the United States. Consequently, he said, Bolith had a difficult childhood that may have led to his behavior, despite Bolith learning English and getting his certified nursing assistant license to better his life.

Simms took issue with the pre-sentence report that said there was sexual penetration — he said there was only fondling and touching and Bolith’s patients misunderstood his intentions. However, Simms said his client takes full responsibility for his actions.

Crimes like this are universal in any language and should not be tolerated anywhere. I hope Utah has a law similar to Illinois that prevents convicted felons from working in nursing homes. Read more about this case of nursing home sex abuse here.

For more information on nursing homes in Utah look here. For laws related to Utah nursing homes, look here.