Tim Ricks - Unremorseful sex offender

"I need to pay for my crimes. But I don't need to overpay."

A Madison County man who molested family members for almost thirty years is sentenced Monday.

Tim Ricks had several family members in court to support him as he received his sentence for crimes that have gone on for a long time.

After committing sex crimes for almost three decades, Tim Ricks will spend the next 180 days on a rider program as part of a five to twenty year prison sentence.

"All I can say is I'm extremely sorry," Ricks told Judge Brent Moss. "I need to pay for my crimes. But I don't need to overpay."

Ricks was arrested in April after his victims came forward. At that time investigators found he had been molesting family members, and possibly others, since 1979.

Monday in court prosecutors recommended Ricks serve up to twenty years behind bars after reciting what counselors found in a psycho-sexual evaluation.

"He minimizes the incident that he has engaged in," commented Madison Co. Prosecutor Sid Brown. "He has no awareness of the long term impact of his behavior. He has no remorse."

But Ricks attorney told the court his client does have remorse and wants to make things right.

"He voluntarily talked to the police. He confessed," said Defense Attorney Jim Archibald.

After hearing both sides of the argument, Judge Brent Moss told Ricks he didn't have the perfect answer.

"If you were the judge and somebody had done this to somebody you loved, what would you recommend?" Moss asked Ricks.

"I'm like you. I really don't know," replied Ricks.

With that, Moss sent him to Cottonwood for the next six months.

"Every member of your family that's here and even those that aren't here are gonna be sentenced today by what I do. All because of decisions you have made," said Moss.

After six months at Cottonwood, Moss will review Ricks case and if everything looks good, Ricks will be placed on probation.

If not, he will serve the rest of his sentence in prison.