Jared Fogle's Bonkers Defense Blames 'Mild Pedophilia' On Weight Loss

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Nov 19, 2015 7:40PM

Before a judge sentenced Jared Fogle to over 15 years in prison this afternoon, a psychiatrist offered up a bizarre defense that stopped just short of blaming the former Subway spokesman's pedophilia on the sandwiches he once hawked.

Fogle previously plead guilty to receiving child pornography and crossing state lines to pay for sex with a minor. Forensic psychiatrist John Bradford of the University of Ottawa testified during today's sentencing hearing by phone. He said that the very thing that turned into Fogle's cash cow—losing weight on a diet of Subway sandwiches—ended up turning him into someone obsessed with sex.

"Once he lost weight, it seemed as though in a short time he had hyper-sexuality," he said, according to the Indy Star. "There are brain disorders that can be associated with sexual drive."

Fogle's attorney Jeremy Margolis said he "traded a horrible food addiction for a horrible sex addiction."

Bradford argued that Fogle isn't like other pedophiles who are at high risk for recidivism. Viewing child porn and having sex with 16- and 17-year-old prostitutes "are not offenses that carry with them a high risk of recidivism." Bradford said that unlike other rapists and child molesters, Fogle didn't rationalize his behavior: "He didn't have those types of cognitive distortions that you would see in those individuals."

He said Fogle's diagnosis was "mild pedophilia" and hypersexuality that would require counseling and antidepressants. However, when pressed, Bradford admitted "mild" or "weak" pedophilia is not a real diagnosis. Here's the exchange, according to the Indy Star:

Prosecutor Steve DeBrota, cross-examing Bradford, asked him about "mild" or "weak" pedophilia and whether those terms are used by other experts in his field.

Bradford said they are not used by other experts.

"So that's a term you've come up with to provide scaling to the word pedophilia?" DeBrota said.

Bradford said yes.

Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Fogle to 15 years and eight months in prison. That's more than the 12 1/2 years that prosecutors recommended in their plea deal. She says she took into account the fact Fogle seemed sincere in his remorse and that he paid out $1.4 million in restitution. She also described him as "privileged" and read a statement from one of Fogle's victims saying that she contemplated suicide at age 16.

Fogle broke down reading a statement when he discussed the ways that he had hurt his family.

"You gave your wife $7 million, she'll be okay," Pratt responded, according to Reuters.

Related:
Ex-Subway Rep Jared Fogle To Plead Guilty To Sex With Minors, Child Porn: Feds
Subway Was Warned Jared Fogle Was A Pedophile, Ex-Franchisee Says
FBI Informant Describes How She Brought Jared Fogle Down: 'He's A Monster'