Child Sex Predator Sentenced to 15 Years

PHOENIX - Joseph Roberts, the man accused of molesting four girls under the age of 15, was sentenced Monday by a judge -- and one of his victims is speaking out on the "monster" who stole her innocence.

65-year-old Roberts, who called himself "Uncle Joe" to befriend neighborhood children and their mothers, was sentenced to 15 years in prison as part of a plea agreement. He will be on sex offender probation for life.

"He's always controlled me, he controlled me for seven years," says Hallie Rayburn, now 16. "It was really hard but it was like closure kind of, like I want him to know how I feel, like I wanted to feel power over him."

The nightmare came to an end last November when Roberts was arrested.

Police say Roberts would gain the trust of mothers, invite their children to live with him, take them on trips, and molest them. He admitted to molesting four underage girls.

"He would befriend people that were down on their luck, specifically moms coming out of rehab, parents coming out of jail, and he would offer to take in their children. Specifically, young ladies, around the age of 8 or 10 when they would start living with him," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump. "There were several families that allowed their kids to live with him over the years."

"I feel a little relief but he wouldn't even look at me, he didn't look like he had any remorse at all, none," says Barbara Rayburn, Hallie's mother.

"It must've been a full-time job for him to fool me," another mother told the judge, sobbing. "When I found out what happened all I could do is sit in my daughter's room and look at the pink butterflies, all the ponies and all the games, to think he snatched her innocence away."

Some of the other parents in court for the sentencing believe there are other victims out there. Hallie is encouraging them to come forward.