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UTAH STATE PRISON — Kenneth Prince acknowledges now that it was no excuse.
But back then, he said he began molesting and sexually exploiting young boys and young men because he had "needs."
"After my last daughter was born, my wife didn't want to have sex anymore. And I had some needs. Especially when my doctor put me on testosterone replacement therapy because of the cancer. That's not an excuse. It was stupid. It's not a good excuse or any excuse at all. But that's the way I felt at that time. I don't now," a repentant Prince said Thursday at the Utah State Prison.
On Thursday, Prince attended his first parole hearing since being sentenced to one to 15 years at the prison after pleading guilty to five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony. As part of his plea deal, two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, were dismissed.
Prince, 63, was a teacher in South Ogden for 31 years. He has a master's degree in education. Prince was also a Boy Scout leader.
But starting in 1983, Prince lived a double life as a respectable teacher and community leader who developed an addiction to pornography. That porn addiction progressed to taking explicit pictures of adolescent boys.
Speaking at his parole hearing Thursday, Prince told Board of Pardons and Parole member Pat Nolan about his health problems, which included testicular cancer and Type 2 diabetes caused by chemotherapy.
"My health has also been affected by a very poor choice that I did after I was first arrested. I didn't want to come here so I thought that I'd drink a cup of mercury," he said.
In 2008, Prince was arrested at a Salt Lake gym after police discovered him committing a "lewd act." Shortly after, he was forced to retire from South Ogden Junior High where he had taught since 1979.
Related:
Ex-Boy Scout leader sent to prison for child porn
A former teacher and Boy Scout leader in Utah has been sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography.He survived drinking mercury. But in September of 2013, South Ogden police found sexually explicit photos of boys under 18 on laptops at his house. The investigation began after a man reported to police that he had been sexually abused by Prince more than a decade earlier.
Back then, Prince said he blamed his victims for his arrest.
"At that time, that's the way I felt. Since that time things have changed a lot," he said. "I would have to say I take full responsibly for my stupid actions."
Prince received therapy before being sent to prison, and today said that being arrested was actually a good thing.
"I just didn't realize I was going down a whirlpool," said Prince, who said he no longer blames his victims.
"You were the adult," Nolan said.
"I was the idiot," Prince interjected.
"That too," Nolan replied.
Nolan reminded Prince that for the parole board to even consider releasing him, he would have to successfully complete sex offender treatment while in prison. Prince said he has been on a waiting list since entering prison but hasn't been given the opportunity to begin taking those classes.
He asked if it might be possible to resume treatment outside of prison, something he said he'd be willing to pay for and something he felt he was benefitting from before being sent to prison.
Nolan acknowledged that continuing treatment outside of prison might be something the board would look at in the future. But for likely the next five years at minimum, he said the board will probably require him to stay in prison and complete the treatment programs there.
The full five-member board is expected to vote in the coming weeks on when to give Prince a new parole hearing date. Email: preavy@deseretnews.com Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam
