'It took this long for the technology to catch up to you:' Kentucky man sentenced in Highland County unlawful sexual conduct case

A Paducah, Ky. man was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in Highland County Common Pleas Court to an amended charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, which allegedly occurred in 2008.

As previously reported, Gene Michael Belisle, 59, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in December and charged with one count of rape and two counts of kidnapping, all first-degree felonies.

According to court records, Belisle pleaded guilty March 6 to a bill of information charging him instead with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a third-degree felony. The three counts in the original indictment were dismissed.

The bill of information alleges that on or about July 12, 2008, Belisle “did knowingly engage in sexual conduct” with a 14-year-old victim while being “10 or more years older” than the victim.

Belisle, who was represented by attorney JD Wagoner, appeared before Highland County Common Pleas Court for sentencing Wednesday.

At sentencing, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins explained the reason for the indictment nearly two decades after the offense was alleged to have occurred.

“This case took so long to solve because while DNA was collected immediately after the commission of the offense, it was not tested until after he was recently convicted in Kentucky of a weapons charge,” Collins said. “Once that happened, they collected his DNA, compared it to the DNA we had from 2008, and that’s how a match was made.”

The prosecutor asked Judge Rocky Coss to sentence Belisle to “at least four years” in prison (with the maximum allowed being five years), pointing out that Belisle had a lengthy criminal history. She also advised that the victim in this case was in agreement with the amended charge.

Wagoner disagreed with Collins’ request for an extended prison sentence, pointing out that Belisle’s record does not “indicate this is a pattern” due to no similar charges.

“This is just a horrible choice on my client’s behalf, and we would ask the court to consider that this is not repeat behavior in his record,” Wagoner said.

Belisle also addressed the court, asking Coss to consider sentencing him to community control instead of prison. He explained that after losing both of his parents “within a week” of each other in 2018, he “quit drugs and alcohol” and cleaned up his life. Belisle said he is now employed and is “a law-abiding citizen.

“This one bad decision should not define who I am,” he said. “I apologize for making a decision that has changed the lives of those involved.”

Coss said Belisle’s efforts to improve himself were “admirable,” but that “this is a serious offense.

“The fact that it’s taken this long for you to be held accountable  — I can’t say that it’s your fault because you just went about your business, but it took this long for the technology to catch up to you, and it has,” Coss said. “In the court’s judgment, for victims of sexual offenses and exploited children, offenses require a prison sentence.”

Coss sentenced Belisle to three years in prison, with 148 days of jail time credit. In addition, Belisle will be classified as a tier II sex offender. Tier II sex offenders are ordered to register every 180 days for 25 years.

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