Her statement at today’s sentencing moved us to tears.
Note from Jane the executive director of Floodlit: We at floodlit.org are so proud of this brave survivor of childhood sexual abuse. We wish her complete healing and hope she continues to be a strong voice of support and advocacy for others who have experienced abuse. Keep your chin up, you decide your own happiness.
– East Idaho News article, including full video of the sentencing
At a sentencing hearing in Idaho today, a 14-year-old girl spoke before the court about how Candon Dahle had sexually assaulted her for years.
She said, “My earliest memory of the abuse is 7 years old, but I know he was touching me before that. Almost every time we were together, Candon was touching me under my clothes … some memories are so damaging, because it was me holding in cries of pain while Candon was pleasured.
“[…] I was just 11 years old when he covered my mouth because he didn’t want the family close by to know what he was doing.
“[…] Every single day since I was seven, Candon has made me hate myself. I wake up every morning and have to give myself a reason to stay here.
“I want Candon to know that many days, I have felt I would have rather he ended my life than forced 7-year-old me to have to live through all those years of what he did to me.
“[…] You forced me to keep your secret for seven years. I sat through your baseball games, I watched the world cheer for you.
“I watched you achieve every church standing and be celebrated, all while I screamed inside because I knew the truth.”
“[…] Candon acts powerful and entitled, but all it took was a 14-year-old girl to show the truth.
“Your honor, I have worked so hard the last five months to find things I love again because he took everything from me. I need you to know that if he gets off today, I will wonder for the rest of my life why I ever put myself and my family through this.
“Please don’t take away the only part of this that gives me some sense of peace.”
Dahle, 22, will not be required to register as a sex offender, thanks to a plea agreement that also saw charges in another county dropped.
“There were a lot of letters written in support of (Dahle),” Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said.
