American jailed for sexually abusing Kenyan minors

John D. Ott, 68, who pled guilty in May last year to illicit sexual conduct with the 14 children received his sentence at a Federal Court in Washington DC. Image|GOOGLE MAP  

By Antony Karanja
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An American man was on Wednesday sentenced to 20 years in jail for sexually abusing 14 minors in Kenya over a period of eight years.

John D. Ott, 68, who pled guilty in May last year to illicit sexual conduct with the 14 children received his sentence at a Federal Court in Washington DC.




Once he completes his jail term, Ott will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.

His practicing license has also been revoked and due to the nature of his crimes, he will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Ott who was working as doctor with various hospitals and aid groups in Kenya had earlier admitted to sexually abusing the minors who ranged from 9 to 17 years old between January 2004 and September 2012.

The crimes were committed while he was working in Muhuru Bay, Sori and Kendu Bay.

He also admitted that he frequently paid school fees for the victims as well as offering other forms of financial support.

ORPHANAGE IN KENYA

According to the United States Department of Justice, Ott had also started an orphanage in Kenya during his time in the country.

Ott’s crimes came to light after a number of the victims confided in other American doctors about their ordeal.

Chris Pillbury from Texas and Stephen Sokol from Maine who recorded the boy’s stories confronted Ott who became “evasive and sarcastic.”

On realising that his past was catching up with him, Ott fled into Tanzania.

Pillbury and Sokol contacted the US Embassy in Nairobi where they recorded statements with FBI agents.

Upon realising that Ott had crossed into Tanzania, the FBI and its criminal division’s office of international affairs worked closely with personnel at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the US Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center and local authorities in Tanzania and Kenya to apprehend Ott.

He was arrested in on December 12, 2012 in Tanzania.

This case is among many that have been prosecuted following the efforts of a national initiative known as “Project Safe Childhood” which aims combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The programme was initiated by the US Justice Department.