A former Taekwondo instructor from Wamego will spend the next three years on probation after a Pottawatomie County judge sentenced him for convictions on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Scott Hertzig pleaded guilty earlier this year two the charges following his arrest last year. In court Thursday he read a letter, acknowledging he broke the law and attributed his actions to years of child sexual abuse at the hands of his brother. The 37-year-old stated in court that viewing the images normalized what he experienced and that he got no sexual gratification in viewing the images.
Because Hertzig has been undergoing treatment for the past year, the judge found that doing the program would be better to prevent recidivism and granted probation instead of prison time, despite the state’s objection. The aggravated underlying sentence imposed is 68 months (34 months on each count), meaning if he violates probation he’ll head to jail for the next five to six years. He’s also subject to lifetime post-release supervision.
According to Pottawatomie County Attorney Sherri Schuck, the investigation of his phone led to a “binder full” of numerous lewd images of child victims under the age of 10.
Hertzig worked as a Taekwondo instructor for 14 years in the area, and instructed numerous children.
