Syracuse, NY - A Salina man who avoided state prison when a sex abuse victim recanted her allegations against him was sentenced to state prison today for bribing that girl to change her story. Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Tarkowski both said James G. Hunter Jr. deserved more prison time than he was getting...
Syracuse, NY - A Salina man who avoided state prison when a sex abuse victim recanted her allegations against him was sentenced to state prison today for bribing that girl to change her story.
Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Tarkowski both said James G. Hunter Jr. deserved more prison time than he was getting but had benefited yet again from the prosecution’s concerns for the best interests of the victim.
Hunter’s wife, Jennifer, also was sentenced today – to probation – for her role in the witness-bribing conspiracy.
View full sizeJames Hunter at his sentencing in Onondaga county Court. 
View full sizeJennifer Hunter at her sentencing in Onondaga County Court. James Hunter, 34, whose last known address was Greenpoint Avenue, pleaded guilty in December to bribing a witness and fifth-degree conspiracy. He also admitted violating probation in the earlier sex abuse case.
Aloi today sentenced him to serve three years in state prison for the probation violation with a concurrent penalty of one to three years in prison for the witness-bribing conviction.
Jennifer Hunter, 32, also pleaded guilty in December to the witness-bribing and conspiracy charges. She was sentenced today by Aloi to five years’ probation.
Tarkowski said Jennifer Hunter actually was the “mastermind” behind the bribery plot in an effort to keep her husband out of state prison after he was accused of molesting the young girl. Mrs. Hunter and her sister-in-law were accused of writing letters for the victim to copy in which it appeared the young girl was recanting her allegations of being sexually molested by James Hunter.
He had been facing a possible life sentence if convicted of predatory sexual abuse against a child. But the prosecution was unable to pursue that case or press for a state prison sentence after the victim recanted.
Instead, Hunter was allowed to plead guilty last year to a lesser charge of course of sexual conduct against a child for which he was sentenced to 10 years’ probation.
It was several months after that that the victim revealed the bribery plot to get her to recant her sexual abuse allegations.
Tarkowski today said he wished the judge was sentencing James Hunter for the “horrific” sexual acts to which he had subjected the victim. The girl, now 15, told the court today she was still struggling through counseling to put her life back together in the wake of the sexual abuse and bribery plot.
Aloi commended her for her courage in coming forward with the truth. But he also noted the Hunters got lenient plea deals in the bribery plot because the prosecution was trying to spare the girl the trauma of having to testify before a grand jury and at trial.
Jennifer Hunter apologized for her conduct, noting she had made “poor choices.”
James Hunter had nothing to say.
Aloi noted Mrs. Hunter apparently had been motivated by a desire to keep her husband out of prison so he could continue to financially support the family. The judge noted the couple now is going through a divorce.
“You may have thought you were in a desperate situation, but you made the wrong decisions,” Aloi told Jennifer Hunter.
The sentencing of the Hunters had been on hold while the prosecution tried to work out the case against a third defendant, James Hunter’s sister, Lorna Bailey, for her role in the bribery conspiracy.
Bailey pleaded guilty recently in City Court to the misdemeanor conspiracy charge and is expected to be sentenced to three years’ probation, Tarkowski said.