Ex-radio Host John Balyo Sentenced for ‘repulsive’ Acts

WOOD
December 11, 2014

http://woodtv.com/2014/12/11/ex-radio-host-balyo-to-be-sentenced-for-federal-crimes/

Former Christian radio host John Balyo is headed to federal prison after a judge sentenced him to 40 years for sexually exploiting boys and possessing child pornography.

Judge Robert Holmes Bell said Thursday in federal court he wants Balyo to report to him every year that he’s in prison regarding what he’s doing to help others and rehabilitate himself.

Balyo will also be responsible for $8,500 in restitution to the victims and a lifetime of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

During the sentencing, Bell said Balyo, a former radio host at WCSG in Grand Rapids, was two people in one — a trusted member of the community and another who committed repulsive sexual acts on young boys.

Balyo told the judge he wants a chance at a life someday and admitted what he did was horrible. He said he didn’t think through the consequences of his depravity.

Balyo’s lawyer says he believes his client has a good chance at rehabilitation and has already taken responsibility by pleading guilty to the charges in order to save the young victims from having to testify in public trials.

Bell said he believes it will take time for Balyo to peel back the layers to learn the reason behind his actions.

Following Balyo’s sentencing, Kenny Duke, one of the Homeland Security investigators who helped break the case, told 24 Hour News 8 that based on what was found in Balyo’s storage locker – a kit with handcuffs, rope, tape, zip ties, chain and rubber gloves as well as stories about serial killings and children’s obituaries – he believes Balyo could have committed more crimes.

“I think what’s most disturbing is what we found in the storage locker,” Duke said. “That made me believe that if he… well, I don’t think he had abducted a child yet, but he was well on his way.”

Balyo pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and child pornography in July. He admitted to meeting with Ronald Moser and a 12-year-old boy in a Kalamazoo hotel room in April where the men sexually assaulted the boy who was paid in cash by Balyo.

Balyo admitted he took pictures during the sexual assault with an iPhone and a camera and then put six of those images on his computer.

Federal authorities said Balyo concealed the computer, along with other items, by giving them to an acquaintance who turned them over to police after seeing news reports on the case. In addition to the six images from the April assault, investigators also found three other images of child pornography on Balyo’s computer.

In a separate case in Calhoun County, Balyo was sentenced in November to 25 to 50 years in prison on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Balyo’s federal sentence will run concurrently with his state sentence.

Moser is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court before the start of the new year. He pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child pornography in August.