Continued from “Iowa Business Owner Receives Multiple Life Sentences for Decades of Sexually Exploiting Teens”
The victims were identified only by number. One who worked for one of Markley’s businesses said he felt “so stupid” for believing Markley’s explanations for why he needed to let himself be touched and assaulted, and that he struggled emotionally after Markley, fearing his parents were becoming suspicious, falsely accused him of theft and fired him.
“He knew I was just a kid, that he could trick or manipulate me into whatever he wanted me to do,” he said.
His mother took the podium to emphasize the damage done to her son, and how near she came to losing him. “No parent should have to find their child with a loaded gun, ready to take their own life, because of what another adult has done to him,” she said.
Another victim described trying time and again to get away from Markley, only to have the older man angrily pursue him, falsely claiming the victim’s family had asked Markley to check on him. “I convinced myself it was just a dream, that it isn’t real, but the nightmares never end, and I remember new details every day,” he said.
Markley thought his attorney had argued for a sentence of about 22 years, and accused the government of engaging in “creative license” in characterizing many of his actions. He suggested in court filings that “most of the individual victims suffered little in the way of actual physical or psychological harm. Some even profited to some degree from the activity.”
In a lengthy statement to the court Monday, Markley continued to suggest many of his actions have been misinterpreted, and apologized “that anything I have done to anyone is seen as for my own sexual gratification. … I’m sorry I didn’t explain better where I was coming from.”
Markley suggested he himself was sexually abused as a teen and that he felt he was treated dismissively by a doctor when he and his wife were struggling to have children. This, he said, led to his interest in human sexuality research. “I’m sorry I made it my life’s mission to help,” he said. Rose, in response, said Markley’s statement showed a “delusional lens” through which he saw the world.
Markley previously was charged with numerous crimes by Story County prosecutors, including pimping, prostitution and human trafficking. Those cases were dismissed after he was federally indicted. Markley also is the subject of at least three civil lawsuits filed by young men he allegedly victimized. Those cases had been on hold pending the outcome of his criminal case.