A Casper man pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sexual abuse in Natrona County District Court on Thursday.

Each guilty plea - six for first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, one for sexual assault of a child under 12 - was for each victim of Larry Lorenz Burg, 59, District Attorney Mike Blonigen said.

In exchange for Burg's seven pleas, 19 other charges were dismissed. Conviction on all 26 charges would have carried a maximum sentence of nearly 900 years imprisonment.

Even so, Burg faces up to 320 years imprisonment, Blonigen said.

Burg's sentencing date has not been set, but sentencing probably will occur in the next two months after a presentence investigation is complete, he said.

Burg's attorney, Senior Assistant Public Defender Kurt Infanger, did not return calls seeking comment.

The victims and their families are receiving help, said Nancy Johnson, the victim witness coordinator for the District Attorney's Office. She declined to comment on the specific circumstances of the case.

"It's often much harder on the parents than the children," Johnson said. "They're all grieving."

According to police reports, one of the seven girls, ranging in age from 10 to 14, accused him of sexually abusing her and a friend inside of his home in west Casper. She told investigators Burg gave them alcohol and cigarettes and showed them a pornographic video before abusing them.

Police arrested Burg on Jan. 19.

Prosecutors initially charged him with six counts of sexual abuse of a child, and filed more charges a month later after investigators found more victims. Some of the allegations dated to 2004.

During a search of Burg's trailer home, investigators seized sexual items and movies described by some of the girls. They also took clothing, bedding and beer cans.

Some of the alleged victims denied any abuse had happened or didn't want to discuss the alleged incidents. However, other girls reported seeing those children being molested, according to police.

One girl told investigators Burg - nicknamed "Grandpa Larry" - would lock the door to the home before he did "nasty things," a detective testified at a preliminary hearing in March. Other girls reported being threatened by him.

After the hearing, Blonigen said Burg did not say much because of a case law known as an "Alford plea," which allows a prosecutor to provide the factual basis for the crime and the defendant to accept it.

Whether Burg speaks later remains to be seen, Blonigen said. "I'll be very curious to see if he says anything."

While child sex crimes are infrequent, he rarely has seen anything of this scope, he said.

That's where agencies such as the Child Advocacy Project prove their worth, because they offer safe environments for children to talk and for investigators to take notes, Blonigen said.

Investigating and prosecuting child sex crimes can be difficult for a number of reasons, including the trauma of a victim who does not understand what happened to him or her, he said.

Children who believe they have been abused need to talk to law enforcement as soon as possible, Blonigen said.

Parents also need to be involved, and they may need to overcome the shock that abuse may have occurred by an acquaintance, he said. "It's hard to accept that some they know would do something like that."

Investigators and prosecutors had an advantage with the Burg case because the children reported the abuse soon after it occurred, Blonigen said. "They got in early on, and got the physical evidence."

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at tom.morton@trib.com. Read his blog at tribtown.trib.com/TomMorton/blog.

News Tracker

Last we knew: Larry Lorenz Burg faced 27 charges involving seven alleged victims, including first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

The latest: Burg pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sexual abuse, one for each victim, in Natrona County District Court on Thursday. The other 19 charges were dismissed.

What's next: Sentencing probably will be in two months after the completion of a presentence report.

Last we knew: Larry Lorenz Burg faced 27 charges involving seven alleged victims, including first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

The latest: Burg pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sexual abuse, one for each victim, in Natrona County District Court on Thursday. The other 19 charges were dismissed.

What's next: Sentencing probably will be in two months after the completion of a presentence report.]]->