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Sundance Film Festival co-founder pleads guilty to sex abuse
ap ^ | April 30, 2019 | Staff

Posted on 05/03/2019 5:59:01 AM PDT by yesthatjallen

AMERICAN FORK, Utah (AP) — A filmmaker who co-founded the Sundance Film Festival and produced an Oscar-winning movie in the mid-1980s pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexual abuse of a child.

Sterling Van Wagenen, 71, entered the plea as part of an agreement that includes a sentence of six years to life. He plans to plead guilty to a second charge involving the same victim later this week, his attorney Steven Shapiro said.

His acceptance of the plea deal was a surprise since he had just been charged earlier this month and it came during his first court appearance. Shapiro said his client decided to waive his right to other hearings to resolve the case quickly and avoid further harm to his family.

Van Wagenen wanted to “acknowledge wrongful conduct,” Shapiro said.

Prosecutors charged Van Wagenen with inappropriately touching a girl between the ages of 7 and 9 on two occasions between 2013 and 2015 in two northern Utah cities.

He is scheduled to be formally sentenced on July 2.

Van Wagenen co-founded a Utah film festival that came to be known as Sundance Film Festival with Robert Redford and was the Sundance Institute’s founding executive director, but hasn’t been with the organization for more than two decades.

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: hollywood; pedophilia; sexabuse; sundance; sundancefilmfestival; vanwagenen

1 posted on 05/03/2019 5:59:01 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: yesthatjallen

Let Judge Cassowary impose the sentence.


2 posted on 05/03/2019 6:05:37 AM PDT by VietVet876
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To: yesthatjallen

So he abused boys and girls.

Redford must be so proud.


3 posted on 05/03/2019 6:07:46 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6

Do you see any ‘journalists’ tripping over their own feet, running after Redford for an interview?


4 posted on 05/03/2019 6:13:11 AM PDT by SMARTY ("Nobility is defined by the demands it makes on us - by obligations, not by rights".)
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To: blueunicorn6; big'ol_freeper; Impy; SevenofNine; Cletus.D.Yokel; Rummyfan; Liberty Valance; ...
Re: Redford must be so proud.

I only told Sterling... to reach out to avenues of youth involvement--

https://radaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/robert-redford-speedo-wife-sibyl-szaggars-mexico-beach-pics-6.jpg

5 posted on 05/03/2019 6:14:20 AM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: yesthatjallen

[[[Shapiro said his client decided to waive his right to other hearings to resolve the case quickly and avoid further harm to his family. ]]]

Yes, whatever his client needs in this. The hell with the victim(s).


6 posted on 05/03/2019 6:16:38 AM PDT by headstamp 2
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To: Bender2

“The Sea was angry that day”


7 posted on 05/03/2019 6:20:38 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6; Bender2

Methinks you might owe Bendy a monitor, or a keyboard or a new Shiner Bock (breakfast...Lone Star time is after Noon)after THAT post.
Well, played!


8 posted on 05/03/2019 6:29:03 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic, Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel
...new Shiner Bock (breakfast...Lone Star time is after Noon)...

Noted for future incidents.

9 posted on 05/03/2019 6:46:06 AM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: blueunicorn6

“Like an old man trying to return soup at the deli...”

L


10 posted on 05/03/2019 6:48:39 AM PDT by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: yesthatjallen

Pervert.


11 posted on 05/03/2019 7:08:20 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: blueunicorn6
I don't like Redford anyway. I don't think he can act. When I'm watching Redford, it's obvious I'm watching Redford. He never would have made mega star status had he not hitched his wagon to Paul Newman's train.

Now, Daniel Day Lewis. There's a man who takes his craft seriously. He loses himself to become the character.

Not Redford. It's always the same character: Redford. (Hey Bob, I hope you're reading this. Hack.)

12 posted on 05/03/2019 7:15:34 AM PDT by LouAvul (Freedom without responsibility is chaos. Next step? The Abyss.)
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To: LouAvul

Robert Redford: This is perfect. Why didn’t we think of it sooner? This town still has some charm left, not the mess we turned Park City into.

Phyllis: Forgive me for being observant, but, won’t we just end up doing the same thing to this town?

Robert Redford: Yes. And the town after, and the town after that. Like termites, we will move this film festival from town to town until we have used it up. And then move on, until every quiet mountain town is like Los Angeles.

Phyllis: Why? Why would we do such a thing?

Robert Redford: Because we have to live in L.A. And if we can’t live in quiet, simple, peaceful mountain towns, then nobody will! [Laughs maniacally] Waitwaitwait. Zoom in to a close-up of my face when I do that. Ready. Then NOBODY will! [the camera moves in as he laughs maniacally again] That’s it.

13 posted on 05/03/2019 7:17:31 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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