Federal prosecutors are recommending a 20-year prison term followed by a lifetime of supervised release for former Wrangell doctor Greg Salard ahead of his sentencing hearing next week.
Salard was convicted last summer on felony charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography.
The possible sentence for each count is five to 20 years in prison, followed by supervised release for three years to life. The combined maximum sentence for Salard is 40 years in prison. Prosecutors are recommending half of that.
In court documents, prosecutors write, “this sentence will incapacitate the defendant and protect the community from future harms.”
The sentencing recommendation states it takes Salard’s history into consideration, including allegations that he sexually abused a child.
The document goes on to state that the more than 600 illegal images found on Salard’s computer, the technologically sophisticated effort he put into hiding his illegal activity, and his prominent position as a doctor in a small town contributed to increasing his suggested prison term.
In a sentencing memo, defense attorney Steven Wells writes sexual abuse allegations should not lengthen Salard’s sentence because they were not proven in court, nor were they part of the child pornography charges. Wells writes that Salard will face a charge of aggravated rape in Louisiana courts, so there is no need to sentence him for abuse allegations in this federal case.
Wells also writes Salard is older and in poor health, so he should have a shorter sentence. The defense is recommending a five-year prison sentence.
Salard has been at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center since his arrest in October 2014.
His sentencing is set for Feb. 9 at the U.S. District Court in Juneau.
