Florida Couple Sentenced In Sons' Kidnapping

TAMPA (CBSMiami/AP) — After being accused of kidnapping his two young sons and sailing with them to Cuba, a Florida engineer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and 15 years of probation.

Joshua Hakken was sentenced Thursday in a Tampa courtroom. His wife, Sharyn, was sentenced to seven years, with credit for nearly two years already served, plus 10 years' probation.

Authorities say the couple kidnapped their two young sons from Sharyn Hakken's parents in April after they lost custody following run-ins with police. The Hakkens sailed to Cuba, where they were apprehended by U.S. authorities and sent back to Tampa.

The grandparents now have custody.

Before he was sentenced, Hakken gave a lengthy statement to the court. He called himself a prophet and warned that end times are near.

RELATED CONTENT:

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.