Sterling Van Wagenen, a 72-year-old filmmaker who co-founded the Sundance Film Festival, has been sentenced to “six years to life” in prison after pleading guilty to child sex abuse. The proceeding judge expressed hope to the parole board that Van Wagenen will be in prison for “longer than the minimum” of the six years. Per the AP, prosecutors for the case outlined how Van Wagenen “touched a young girl on two occasions” in Utah between 2013 and 2015. He offered no apology or strong statement in remorse at the sentencing. “It’s clear that any kind of apology I can make is meaningless at this point,” Van Wagenen said. “So I am not even going to attempt one. I want you all to know I feel the consequences of what I’ve done. I feel them deeply.” He formally pleaded guilty in court earlier this year as part of a plea deal.
