Mark Jensen

ROCHESTER — A former Warsaw doctor was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Fulton County Courthouse on charges related to committing sexual acts with two teen boys at his cabin in Akron.

Mark Jensen, 63, 1923 E. Timberline Circle S., Warsaw, received charges of sexual exploitation and sexual misconduct with a minor after a criminal investigation was launched on him, Thursday, July 23, 2015, by Indiana State Police Detective Josh Rozzi.

The investigation occurred following the receipt of information from the Fulton County Division of child services. Rozzi was informed an adult male had potentially performed a sexual act on a then 14-year-old boy.

It was discovered during the investigation in late November of 2012, Jensen had allegedly committed a sex act on the boy in Kosciusko County and had also purportedly videotaped the boy while he was naked. The acts reportedly occurred at a hunting cabin in Akron located near 13700 East SR 114.

Further investigation revealed this was not Jensen’s first offense against a child. In July of 2010, Jensen purportedly videotaped a 17-year-old Kosciusko County boy while he was undressed. This incident allegedly occurred at the same hunting cabin in Akron.

Jensen received a sentence according to a plea agreement made between his attorney, Douglas Lemon and the prosecuting attorney Richard Brown. Jensen will serve three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections and five years probation for count I child exploitation. The max eight-year sentence on the count II was suspended, and he will be on probation for five years. These sentences are to be served consecutively. Jensen received one day of credit from time previously spent in the jail. Per request of the prosecutor, the judge ordered all of Jensen’s electronic devices be destroyed so no inappropriate images or videos Jensen recorded of the victims will be preserved.

Jensen will pay court fees for count I. The court imposes that Jensen pay a $100 child abuse prevention fee on both counts. The court also imposed that  Jensen pay the sexual assault victim assistance fee of $500 on both counts.

Per the plea agreement, two counts of child exploitation, class C felonies, and one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a class C felony, were dismissed.

During the sentencing, a mother of one of the victims took the witness stand. The women explained that she had known Jensen for a number of years during her time as a nurse at the hospital he worked at. She explained she became friends with the woman who was his wife at the time, and the two families began to spend time together. Jensen would invite her husband and sons to go hunting and four-wheeling at his cabin in Akron.

She mentioned that when the incident of sexual misconduct took place, “It happened conveniently,” that the victim was there alone with Jensen.

The mother indicated the nature of what Jensen had done had previously been a secret, “I want to stand up here and look you in the face and tell you it’s not a secret anymore.”

She went on to explain her son had become so depressed after the incident, that he had become suicidal.

She stated she thought Jensen needed to spend time in jail for what he had done and that the plea agreement did not do justice to the incidents that had occurred, “I don’t believe you’ll ever stop.”

She mentioned that while her son decided to not attend the sentencing, he did ask her to tell Jensen something on his behalf, “Tell him I forgive him, but tell him not to do it anymore.”

The sister of the Jensen’s ex-wife also testified against him on the witness stand. Jensen and his wife were married in 1998 and divorced shortly after he was arrested in 2015. She said, “He portrayed himself to our family as an upstanding member of Warsaw.”

She went on to say that while at the time she had not been suspicious of his behavior, looking back she realizes there were certain relationships and situations that she looks at in a different light.

“You can see in hindsight the kind of manipulative person he is,” she said.

Thomas Lemon, who happened to be the father of Jensen’s attorney, spoke on behalf of Jensen. Lemon explained that he had been a close friend to Jensen for years and had known him for around 30 years.

Lemon stated he had no idea about the kinds of relationships Jensen had with these boys until he was arrested.

“I was shocked and disappointed.”

Lemon stated he has spoken at length with Jensen about his actions and said, “He is tremendously embarrassed, as he should be.”

Lemon said he believed Jensen to be genuinely remorseful for what he has done, however, Lemon did say no one can truly know the heart of someone other than the individual.

He did say he did not believe these acts would continue if he was not incarcerated, “I don’t think he’ll put himself in that position again.”

Lemon did state Jensen should serve time based upon the pain he had caused for the victims and their families.

Jensen then took the stand. He began by stating, “I am profoundly sorry.”

He spoke of his victims saying, “I had their trust…..by photographing them in that state, I broke their trust.”

Jensen stated he felt guilt for what he had done, “I’m filled with the most profound regret that these memories will follow these boys until adulthood.”

Jensen stated after the last incident had occurred in 2012, he felt extreme remorse. He explained that he felt sorry not only because he had been caught, but because he had become aware of the gravity of his actions. He said he would never do anything like this again.

“I have decided I will not be with any minors alone again.”

After hearing testimony, Brown stated that this is a unique situation because it was a, “Calculated effort, goes beyond normal circumstances,” because Jensen, “Cultivated a position of trust in order to exploit.”

Judge Wayne Steele spoke before he gave Jensen his sentencing. Steele cited aggravated circumstances had gone into his decision of sentencing. He stated Jensen’s actions were, “Meticulously planned for several years.”

Steele repeated something Jensen had said to one of the victims during the exploitation, “What happens here stays here…this is just boys having fun.”

Steele also noted that while Jensen claimed to have felt guilt that made him stop these crimes, Jensen had failed to delete videos of his victims after his admission of guilt.

“It is troubling you continued to have these on your devices,” said Steele.