Judge ridicules sentencing guidelines for man in Arizona sex offense case

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- A Mohave County Superior Court judge spoke critically of mandatory sentencing provisions as he sent a Bullhead City man to prison for 123 years Friday.

Peter Wludyka, 46, was convicted of 13 sex offenses in November.

Judge Steve Conn told Wludyka he had no problem with the 33-year sentence he imposed for child molestation and sexual conduct with a minor convictions related to improper touching of two 7-year-old girls and a 6-year-old girl in 2005.

Conn said he took issue with the "dangerous crimes against children" element of nine sexual exploitation of a minor convictions which required him to tack on 90 years more under Arizona law.

The exploitation convictions were the product of Wludyka's possession of computer images of child pornography.

Conn complained the law forced him to impose nearly three times as much prison time for the computer images than he felt appropriate for the actual physical violation of the girls. "To me, that's just an absurd sentencing structure," Conn said.

Defense attorney Lee Novak said the case illustrates the "draconian" nature of Arizona's statute on dangerous crimes against children.