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Jared Fogle Sentenced To 15 Years For Sex Crimes

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

INDIANAPOLIS -- He was once a highly likable pitchman for Subway sandwiches. Now Jared Fogle is a “pariah” guilty of possessing child pornography and paying for sex with underage prostitutes. He was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison Thursday.

The federal judge in this case, Tanya Walton Pratt, lived up to her tough reputation. Citing Fogle’s
“extreme perversion and lawlessness,” she went beyond the sentencing guidelines and even what prosecutors were seeking.

Fogle was emotional as he apologized during a four hour sentencing hearing. It included the reading of text messages, in which Fogle offers top dollar to those who could connect him with minors for sex. “The younger the better,” he wrote, using an ‘LOL’ and a smiley face, even offering to pay top dollar. Fogle said in court that he wasn’t thinking through what he was doing at the time.

U.S. Attorney Steve DeBrota says Fogle “can’t control his demons.”

Fogle lost 200 pounds while a senior at Indiana University on a Subway diet. The company took notice and centered a decade-long ad campaign on him as an ordinary guy. But behind that public persona, he spent thousands of dollars a year on prostitutes. And he received hundreds of secretly made nude images of children from the head of his foundation. Fogle had personal relationship with some of those children.

Fogle was immediately taken into federal custody. Pratt is recommending Fogle be sent to a facility in Colorado so he can continue to receive sex and substance abuse treatment.

Ryan Delaney works on the Innovation Trail project - covering technology, economic development, startups and other issues relating to New York's innovation economy.