WOBURN, Mass. (WHDH) — The lawyer for John Burbine, a Wakefield man charged with sexually abusing multiple children, at his wife's unlicensed day care center says his client is willing to undergo "physical castration" in exchange for a "massive" reduction in his sentence.
Prosecutors allege that between August 2010 and August 2012, 49-year-old John Burbine molested 13 children ranging from 8 days to 3 1/2 years old.
With 100 charges against him, Burbine could face a life sentence behind bars if convicted. Burbine’s attorney, William Barabino, came up with a bizarre deal to have Burbine castrated in exchange for a reduced sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Barabino tells the Boston Herald the procedure is effective in producing "a drastic reduction or complete discontinuation in sexual urges and sexual function, due to the inability to produce testosterone."
The district attorney’s office turned down Barabino’s offer immediately.
“We have limits, and limits would be 15 years more than…we had hoped for ten. But it would be 15 years, committed time. Now, the judge understandably, did not rule on that and I understand that. More importantly, the district attorney had said that it is not going to change their recommendation. Their recommendation today is I think 85-100 years,” Barabino said.
The case is still set to go on trial sometime next year.
Burbine’s attorney said he would consider raising the number of years and prison and still keeping castration on the table.
The judge didn't completely rule out the proposal, so that it may come up again in future court proceedings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.