A former driving instructor who pleaded guilty to molesting and secretly filming multiple female students was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Richard Joseph Banks was initially charged in connection with 11 victims, but an amended complaint increased that total to 18 victims.
After the allegations surfaced, American Driving School's owner, Daniel Tackett, said in a statement that Banks passed a background check before he was hired. During Banks' Tuesday afternoon sentencing hearing, defense attorney Mark Davis said his client has a minimal criminal history and his convictions date back 30 years and were not similar to the offenses in this case.
"They were in a position where they were essentially restrained," said French, who emphasized the vulnerability of the victims in arguing for the five-year term, the maximum allowed for the charges Banks pleaded guilty to."They were alone in a car with an older man. They were focused on driving. They didn't want to cause an accident."
The prosecutor also said Banks endeared himself to the victims and their families and built relationships with them so he could isolate the victims. He sometimes would offer free lessons or even money to driving students who did well on their lessons or the driving test, she said.
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