Mitchell L. Padbury, 63 of Marathon, received a life sentence in prison on Thursday in Cortland County Court. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
A Marathon man who was convicted in mid-March for sexual abuse-related charges received his sentencing on Thursday at Cortland County Court.
Mitchell L. Padbury, 63, was sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison. The sentencings for each of his convictions are as follows (All convictions will run concurrent of each other):
- Predatory sexual assault against a child: 25 years-to-life in prison
- First-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, criminal sex act and incest (3 counts): 25 years in prison, 20 years of post-release supervision
- First-degree court of sexual conduct (sexual abuse): 7 years in prison, 10 years of post-release supervision
- Endangering the welfare of a child: a year in prison
Five of the convictions are felonies, with one being a misdemeanor, according to court documents.
According to bullet points that county judge Julie Campbell took from the pre-sentencing investigation, Padbury has a criminal history that dates back to the late 1980s.
Campbell noted on Thursday that Padbury received a sexual offense conviction in 2004 out of Chemung County. The conviction, she added, was forcible touching.
“That charge does shed some light in this courtroom,” Campbell said, noting Padbury’s criminal past centers on alcohol-related offenses.
Court documents noted that the female victim knew Padbury, and the incidents occurred in the city of Cortland and in the hamlet of McLean.
According to assistant district attorney Jessica Weyant, Padbury “repeatedly took advantage” of the female victim from 6-to-9 years of age.
“He took away her innocence, power and sense of self-worth,” Weyant said.
Cortland County assistant district attorney Jessica Weyant provided a statement prior to Padbury's sentencing on Thursday. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
Weyant said the victim was “forced to share the most intimate and awful details of her abuse.”
“She was forced to face her abuser in this courtroom in front of strangers about how he abused her for years,” Weyant added.
The victim provided a statement at Thursday’s sentencing.
“You will forever be a monster, Mitchell,” she said. “You will never be able to hurt another soul again. I want you to suffer behind bars for the rest of your life. I want you to feel the pain that I have felt.”
Padbury denied all of the accusations against him, noting he wasn’t given a chance to tell his story.
“They painted this picture of me being a bad guy, but they got it all wrong,” Padbury said, noting the events “don’t add up.” “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Mitchell L. Padbury, 63 of Marathon, received a life sentence in prison on Thursday in Cortland County Court. (Photo provided by Kevin L. Smith of The Cortland Voice).
Weyant noted in her report that the court gave Padbury every opportunity to tell his side of the story.
“This court gave (Padbury) every opportunity to take a stand and share his version of the events,” Weyant said.
Weyant continued by saying Padbury has shown “no remorse for his actions,” denying any responsibility for it.
“This tells me exactly what your attitude and position is in this trial, that you have not taken any responsibility this morning whatsoever,” Campbell said.
Campbell implemented a 50-year order of protection in favor of the victim.
Padbury will appeal his sentencing. Details on the outcome of Padbury’s sentencing in appellate court remains to be seen.
