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hearing so the Court is aware, Ms. Schimpf’s recollection of how that happened is different from Mr. Beebe’s recollection of how that happened, in that Ms. Schimpf at the time of the preliminary hearing testified that there was force involved and Mr. Beebe said that there wasn’t. Part of the nature of this agreement is to acknowledge that there are—well, divergent facts about what happened and how it actually got to where it did where Mr. Beebe confesses to and admits to a sexual assault with Elizabeth Schimpf, who was there in his room at that fraternity house. And so that was really what drives the Commonwealth to seek some resolution of the matter, other than the charges that were initially levied. What I can also say is that it also became clear during the course of our investigation and the Court became aware through other hearings that we’ve had in this Court that the Commonwealth believes that other sexual assaults occurred that night, not by Mr. Beebe, but by other individuals in that fraternity and that’s what we’re continuing to investigate. And Mr. Beebe has agreed to cooperate with the Commonwealth in as far as he can in telling the Commonwealth what he knows and what he recalls of these particular events. And that too is particularly important to the Commonwealth because we believe that the matter doesn’t end here, that there are other things for the Commonwealth to do and other individuals to pursue. Mr. Beebe’s agreement to participate in our investigation and help us as best he can is important to the Commonwealth. But the major driving force, other than Mr. Beebe’s participation, is the fact that in a jury trial, as the Court’s well aware, you can almost never guarantee yourself a result. Here in this particular instance Mr. Beebe admits that he has committed a felony offense, he committed a felony sexual offense against Ms. Seccuro, then Schimpf, and has agreed to serve a penitentiary sentence, the precise length of which is unknown at the moment depending on what happens with the other cases.

THE COURT: All right, thank you, Mr. Worrell. Comments from the defense on the evidence on the plea agreement?

QUAGLIANA: Judge, the only thing—the only thing I would add on the issue of the sentencing guidelines is that Mr. Beebe appears before the Court this morning with no criminal record. He’s been a law-abiding citizen for the 22 years since this occurred. We think that this plea to the aggravated sexual battery more closely approximates the facts of this case. Courts have difficulty accommodating the complexity of human situations and circumstances, but we think that this charge more closely approximates what happened 22 years ago. It acknowledges the role of alcohol, which I bring up not to diminish Mr. Beebe’s responsibility and all that, but it is an important factor in the case. Youth and other things that—that we think are better encompassed by a plea to aggravated sexual battery. So—thank you.

Blame youth. Blame alcohol. Blame the victim.

Judge Hogshire accepted the plea, and set March 15, 2007, as a sentencing date. Beebe was free to go until that date, as long as he complied with the terms of his bond. It was also agreed that Beebe would be free to travel out of state until that date, which was an unorthodox consideration for most accused felons awaiting sentencing. But from what I understood, Beebe had actually been living in Florida while out on bond, helping to care for his mother, who was very ill.

It saddened me to know that his mother was ill while her son was facing these charges. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for her to have her son taken from her, at this time and under these circumstances. My own aging parents were also having serious health issues. In the previous two years, my dad had successfully battled throat cancer and was in remission. My mom suffered from severe adult-onset hydrocephalus and was confined to a wheelchair. They would be unable to come to the sentencing, though they wanted to be at my side. I think, on some level, they still wrongfully blamed themselves