WARNING!
This letter contains sensitive subject matter involving the sexual abuse of a minor. It reflects the personal experiences and views of the author, who is a parent of the victim. While all efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some details have been paraphrased to protect the privacy of the child and comply with legal and editorial standards. Readers are advised that the content may be emotionally distressing.
Dear Editor,
On July 9, 2024, our 4-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted during a routine sleepover with her aunt and uncle. What should have been a safe and loving environment turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.
The man responsible, Cory Myers — her uncle by marriage — was entrusted to care for both children that morning. Instead, he took advantage of that trust in an unimaginable way. He exposed our daughter to pornography, gave her marijuana, and committed acts no child should ever experience.
After dragging out the process for nearly a year — claiming innocence while offering plea deals behind the scenes — he was finally convicted on May 8, 2025, of gross sexual imposition, distributing matter harmful to juveniles, and endangering children. We were forced to weigh the trauma of putting our daughter through a trial against the injustice of a plea deal. In the end, we chose to protect what innocence she has left.
Cory originally offered a no contest plea to gross sexual imposition only and serve a two-year sentence, hoping to avoid trial and limit the consequences. But I agreed only if it included all of the charges filed against him. By doing that, we gave the judge — who ultimately has the final say — the ability to impose a sentence on each individual count. Instead of a blanket two-year deal, the judge handed down 6.1 years. It wasn’t nearly enough for what he did, but it was more than he ever intended to face — and it happened because we refused to let him plead his way out of real accountability.
Meanwhile, our daughter will live with this for the rest of her life.
We’re speaking out because this is happening too often, and the justice system still doesn’t take it seriously enough. Child predators don’t deserve a "second chance” — children deserve to be safe. Sentences must be harsher. Laws must change.
As a father, it’s unbearable to know I would have served more time for retaliating than he will for the original crime. That’s not justice. That’s a failure of our system.
We will not stay silent. Our children deserve better.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Krizek
