Jonathan Jeff Garrett, who played semi-professional basketball in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, admitted he brought his 7-year-old son along when he delivered a prostitute to a Bethlehem Township hotel.
A semi-pro basketball player admitted he brought his 7-year-old son along while dropping off a prostitute at a Lehigh Valley hotel.
Jonathan Jeff Garret, 30, of Freemansburg, was sentenced to nine to 23 months in Northampton County Prison for the crime in August at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Emrick Boulevard in Bethlehem Township.
Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 320 pounds, Garrett towered over defense attorney Vivian Zumas in court Friday.
She said he's taken anger management classes and a healthy relationships course while in prison. He knows what he did was wrong, she said.
"Bringing a child is what makes it extraordinary," said Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano.
"Thank God the child never left the vehicle," Zumas added.
Garrett apologized for wasting the court's time. Giordano was glad he realized he made a serious mistake.
Garrett went to St. Anthony's High School in New Jersey, a prominent school for basketball, before transferring to Liberty High School in his senior year.
He played for various teams including the Harrisburg Horizon, New Jersey Express and a team in Michigan. He hopes to play in Canada when he's put on work release.
"I don't know if they'll let you out to do that," the judge said. Garrett has spent four months in prison already. He will serve two years on probation once his prison and parole time expires.
He pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.
Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
