A Pennsylvania man with the HIV virus who was found guilty of raping a six-year-old boy has now been sentenced to between 17 and 40 years in prison.
Ira Task pleaded guilty to the crimes in March admitting that he raped the boy, without using a condom even knowing he was HIV positive.
According to Cumberland County District Authority Dave Freed, the 62-year-old from Harrisonburg committed a “calculated” act of “evil.”
Police said Task arranged a meeting with the child after contacting 19-year-old North Middleton Township resident William Byers-Augusta early last year. Prosecutors charged that Task brought the child to his home on April 20, drugged him with inhalants, and raped him repeatedly.
“There are still cases that hit even the most seasoned prosecutor or police officer directly in the core of our being,” Freed said. “Cases of behavior so calculated, depraved and debilitating to the victim that it makes plain that there are those in our society who will callously inflict evil on our most vulnerable, our children, to serve their own degenerate desires.”
Prosecutors presented a large amount of data, videos, and still photos that were stored on Task’s computers and electronic devices. A recording of the rape of the six-year-old was among that data.
Now Task has been sentenced up to 40 years in prison with up to 66 years of court supervision upon release.
His trials may not be over. The federal government is also considering charges since his actions crossed state lines, both physically and via the Internet.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
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