Grandfather Sentenced in Child Molestation

A 60-year-old Northridge man was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison for sexually molesting his granddaughter three times during 1978 and 1979.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Richard A. Adler set bail for Henry T. Wight at $100,000 pending his appeal of the Aug. 14 jury conviction.

The victim, who is now 18 and lives in Van Nuys, said her grandfather forced her to engage in sexual intercourse almost daily from the time she was 5 until she was 13, according to a probation report prepared to aid the judge in determining the appropriate sentence.

However, because the victim had difficulty remembering specific dates, Wight was charged with only three counts, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert L. Cohen. Wight has continued to maintain his innocence, claiming that his granddaughter was prodded to lie by his ex-wife, who was bitter over their divorce.

In arguing for a longer prison term, Cohen said the victim will suffer irreversible psychological damage as a result of the incidents.

“I don’t think one can ever recover from acts so reprehensible as these committed by her own grandfather,” Cohen said.

Wight faced a maximum prison sentence of 12 years, Cohen said.