Rot in Hell Lawrence Southwood

Man Gets 104 Years In Abuse Of Disabled Girl

Lawrence Southwood Was Convicted Of Molesting 14-Year-Old Cerebral Palsy Patient

(CBS) JOLIET, Ill. A 69-year-old far south suburban man has been sentenced to 104 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy.

Lawrence Southwoodwas given the stiffest legally permissible sentence, prosecutors said.

The victim, who has little control over her body due to her condition, testified during the trial that Southwood "violated" her three times between August and December 2005 while she was under Southwood's care. He had cared for the victim when her mother was away.

The girl testified that Southwood took her out of her wheelchair and arranged her on the bed before committing the abuse, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney George Lenard argued the girl was making up stories about Southwood, who briefly was a suspect in the 2004 rape and murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox of Wilmington. DNA tests cleared him in that case.

Several prosecution witnesses testified Southwood admitted abusing the disabled girl before and after he was arrested.

“Lawrence Southwood will spend the rest of his life in prison for committing these unbelievably depraved acts of sexual abuse against a vulnerable young girl,” Will County State’s Atty. James Glasgow said after the sentencing. “She fought back against this sick predator on the witness stand, and today she received some measure of justice for the innocence he stole.”

The girl's mother,Kimberly Riordan of Wilmington, is charged with criminal neglect of a disabled person, obstructing justice and concealing a fugitive. Riordan took several thousand dollars not to report the sexual assault of her disabled daughter, the state's attorney's office alleged. If convicted, she faces up to 11 years in prison. Her trial is expected to begin in December.