Santifer sentenced on child abuse charge

56-year-old Herman Santifer, of Norfolk, pleaded not guilty in January of this year to charges of soliciting prostitution of a minor and child abuse for an incident in which he reportedly propositioned a 15-year-old girl in August of 2021. He was formally charged in November. 

In July, a plea agreement was reached in which Santifer pleaded no contest to the child abuse charge and prosecutors dropped the solicitation charge.

Defense attorneys had sought probation, but Judge James Kube gave Santifer three years in prison at his Thursday sentencing.