'Scarred us for life.' Canton man gets life term in prison for child rape, years of abuse
CANTON ‒ A 44-year-old man convicted of sexually abusing a girl for seven years subjected her and her siblings to "unspeakable horrors that have scarred us for life" in the words of one of them.
In a letter read Monday in Stark County Common Pleas Court, she wrote that the abuse from Adam M. Burton "has shattered my sense of security and trust. Every day, I am haunted by the memories of your cruelty."
The letter was read at the northeast Canton man's sentencing hearing, conducted by Judge Chryssa Hartnett.
She sentenced him to life with the possibility of parole after 20 years on convictions for rape, sexual battery and gross sexual imposition. The maximum would have been life without parole. The minimum would have been life with parole possibility after 15 years.
'Truly wicked and evil': Mother describes Perry Township man's sexual abuse of child
The judge said Burton wreaked "torture and absolute devastation" on the children. She commended them, particularly the sexual abuse victim, for their bravery, decency and commitment to one another.
Burton did not speak at sentencing on the advice of his attorney Anthony Koukoutas.
Koukoutas asked the judge to give his client the minimum sentence. He said Burton had no prior criminal convictions.
Adam M. Burton's abuse of children
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Kelsey DiFrancesco said the victim was abused over seven years, starting when she was 8 years old.
April 2024: Judge sentences Plain Township man, 46, for raping child
DiFrancesco and an assistant read letters from the victim, her siblings and their mother, who did not speak in court.
The primary victim wrote that Burton's abuse ruined her.
"The atrocities you committed against me have left a mark on my soul, a wound that time alone cannot heal," she wrote. "Every night, I am haunted by the memories of your abuse, the nightmares (an) inescapable reminder of the horror I endured.
She wrote that Burton's cruelty caused her depression, which she described as a "dark cloud that obscures any glimmer of happiness."
Adam Burton's victims speak
She wrote that the defendant's actions had dismantled her family, leaving behind broken spirits and shattered lives. She said he abused her brother and sister as well.
One sibling described Burton as a monster and expressed the wish that he never know another moment of peace or comfort "as you stole that from us forever."
Their brother wrote that the children had been subjected to harsh treatment, favoritism and cruelty. He wrote that Burton forced him to donate blood plasma to get food.
Their mother wrote that she would always live with the feeling that she had failed to protect her children.
Burton is expected to appeal his convictions. He was found guilty in a jury trial that began June 13 and ended Thursday.
The judge gave Burton credit against his sentence for 171 days already spent in the county jail.
If he is released from prison, Burton would spend five years on parole after prison. He would be required to register his address with the local sheriff every 90 days for the rest of his life.
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Child rapist Adam Burton of Canton gets potential life sentence