An Oregon woman will spend the next 18 years behind bars following a series of brutal physical assaults and psychological torture against her 9-year-old stepson. On Tuesday, March 31, 34-year-old Sarah Session was sentenced in Deschutes County Circuit Court to 216 months in prison for a list of crimes that shocked the local community.
The sentencing follows a March 5 verdict where Session was found guilty of assault, criminal mistreatment, and coercion. While an initial charge of attempted murder was dismissed earlier this year, court records detailed a pattern of systemic cruelty.
Evidence revealed that Session used a metal curtain rod window stopper to beat the child and, in one instance, forced the boy to consume his own vomit. Investigators also uncovered footage showing the child tied to a chair while kept in total isolation.
Session was not the only family member held accountable. Her parents, Paula and Gary Hardenburg, also faced the court for their roles in the abuse and subsequent cover-up. Paula Hardenburg, 61, received a 70-month prison sentence for assault, criminal mistreatment, and tampering with evidence.
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Gary Hardenburg, 66, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of probation for his involvement.
The victim, now 11 years old, addressed the court via telephone. His statement provided a harrowing look at the lasting impact of the trauma.
“You took your anger out on me by beating on me,” he told his stepmother. “I wish I didn’t have to live with the horrible flashbacks of what you did to me at that house. I will need therapy for the rest of my life.” The boy, who expressed a desire to become a lawyer one day, noted that despite a current support system, he still carries the weight of the abuse.
Circuit Judge Alison Emerson expressed frustration during the proceedings, noting that none of the adults involved had offered the boy an apology throughout the investigation.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry this happened to you,” Emerson told the child directly, adding that the case would have been vastly different—and perhaps harder to prove—if not for the digital evidence discovered by detectives.
Despite the conviction, there remained a sharp contrast in how Session viewed her actions. Deputy District Attorney Stacy Neil reported that in recorded jailhouse calls, Session insisted she “did nothing wrong” and claimed the situation was unfair.
However, in a statement read to the court, Session shifted her tone, saying she was “embarrassed, humiliated and deeply sorry,” while maintaining that she never intended to harm the boy but was instead trying to get him “help.”
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