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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Federal Judge Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison

(CN) - U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent was sentenced on Monday to 33 months in prison for obstructing an investigation into his alleged sexual assaults of two courthouse employees, federal prosecutors said. Kent, 59, a judge of the Southern District of Texas, had pleaded guilty to obstructing an investigation into a misconduct complaint filed against him by an employee of the court's clerk's office.

In August 2008, a jury indicted Kent, who was sitting as district judge, on two counts of abusive sexual conduct and one count of attempted aggravated sexual abuse, the Justice Department said.

A grand jury returned a superseding indictment in January, with the original charges and an additional three counts alleging assaults made on a second district court employee. The additional counts included abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual abuse and obstruction.

The alleged assaults occurred between 2003 and 2007. Kent admitted he engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact with both women. And he admitted he obstructed the investigation into the first woman's complaint and lied in his testimony about his conduct with the second woman.

Kent was sentenced in Houston by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson for the Northern District of Florida, who was sitting by designation. He also was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $3,300 in restitution to "Person A" and $3,250 to "Person B."

Kent was ordered to surrender on June 15.

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