GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former Grand Rapids teacher was sentenced to 35 years in prison for pulling a teenage girl into what a federal prosecutor called “a depraved world of grotesque sexual sadism.’’
Philip G. Paauwe in June pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. The offense is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison – and up to life.
“Paauwe is a vile manipulator of children with a deeply depraved sexual appetite for abusing children,’’ Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Y. Mekaru said.
The 33-year-old Grandville man met the girl online and got her to send sexually explicit photos. He was arrested in January.
In addition to prison, U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney on Thursday ordered Paauwe to pay $34,000 in restitution to cover the cost of counseling for the victim, who is now 17.
"Paauwe inflicted extraordinary emotional, psychological and physical trauma on the victim,’’ Mekaru wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Defense attorney Matthew G. Borgula concedes that Paauwe caused the victim, her family and Paauwe's own family great pain.
“Mr. Paauwe makes no excuses for his conduct,’’ Borgula wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “He cannot believe that he is the man that did and said such horrendous things.’’
Borgula said at no time did Paauwe have direct physical contact with the girl or any other minor. Paauwe also cooperated with investigators, providing them with usernames and passwords for his various accounts.
Paauwe came on police radar last fall after disclosing in an online chatroom “he was interested in participating in sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl,’’ court records show. Unbeknownst to Paauwe, he was chatting with an undercover officer who posed as a mother of a minor girl.
He was arrested in early January and charged with two state felonies linked to child pornography on his iPhone. An investigation into those images led to the more serious federal case.
That after investigators determined Paauwe had been in online contact with a girl in Florida, starting in September of 2017 when the girl was 15 years old. Paauwe “persuaded the girl to produce and send him sexually explicit photographs, which constitute child pornography,’’ federal court records show.
“He manipulated and introduced her to a depraved world of grotesque sexual sadism,’’ Mekaru wrote. “He instructed her to submit to a host of depraved and degrading acts. He gave her a list of strict rules to follow.’’
When the girl failed to obey those rules, Paauwe demanded that she punish herself, Mekaru wrote. “Paauwe knew that she had a history of cutting herself and told her to cut herself on camera for him,’’ Mekaru wrote.
The teen provided a victim impact statement ahead of Thursday’s sentencing in which she spoke of the loss she suffered, including a lost childhood, missing three months of school and iconic school events like prom.
“He knew about her psychological condition and preyed on her vulnerabilities,’’ Mekaru wrote. “She developed an eating disorder and struggles with self-hate and self-harm.’’
In opposing leniency, Mekaru said Paauwe chose jobs that would give him access to children. He held teaching positions at four different schools for the past five years and was a childcare worker, Mekaru wrote.
At the time of his arrest, Paauwe was working as a special education teacher at Kent Education Center – Oakleigh, which accommodates students with emotional impairments. He had been with the district less than a year. He was fired in June.
Paauwe, while taking “complete responsibility’’ for his actions, asked the judge to consider the mental damage and stress he suffered as the result of his military service, which included two years of duty in Afghanistan combat zones.
Paauwe joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 and was honorably discharged in 2009, court records show.
“While he has been reluctant to blame his military experience or anything or anyone else, even in part, for his poor judgment and bad acts, the fact remains that there is nothing remotely ‘normal’ about his behavior and it occurred after he returned from active duty,’’ Borgula wrote.
“At a minimum, there is a correlation between his service and his inappropriate behavior, if not a proven cause.’’
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