Judge gives Gamblin suspended sentence

Christian Gamblin received a suspended sentence of one year in prison for failing to properly register as a sex offender while living in Aspen.

Gamblin, who is severely ill with AIDS, was given the lightest sentence possible for failing to give all the necessary details to police about where he was living when he moved here.

Gamblin is currently enrolled in a treatment program at the University of Utah hospital and is scheduled to move into a hospice in Salt Lake City, according to court records.

Judge James Boyd agreed to the one-year suspended sentence, which puts Gamblin on probation, after noting that Gamblin had in fact registered with police when he moved here to be closer to his father, the late Taylor Gamblin.

The 43-year-old Gamblin must follow the conditions of his probation, which include properly registering with authorities in Utah and committing no other crimes, in order to avoid prison.

The crime that originally labeled him a sex offender occurred in California; he was prosecuted in 1991 of "lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age."

In other court news, a Basalt man who was living with a 13-year-old girl and her mother pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault Monday.

Jose Roberto Pena-Gonzales, 18, had been charged with felony sexual assault on a child. The girl is pregnant with his child, according to court records.

Pena-Gonzales, originally from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, could receive up to six years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 15. He also is suspected of being an illegal immigrant and will likely be deported if that proves to be the case.

An Eagle County caseworker became aware of the living arrangement when the girl went to a clinic for prenatal care. The girl's mother was aware of the situation, court papers say.