Harold Franks should count himself lucky; he is only going to jail for 57 months to 10 years. Considering his crimes and the lasting negative impact on one of his victims, some people would rightfully consider the sentence a slap on the wrist, although it is more than that.

One of the crimes for which he was sentenced Tuesday in Butler County Court - kidnapping - could have had a much more tragic result, and he could have faced a much longer time behind bars. Again, Franks should regard himself as lucky that "life on the outside" is in his future.

People who prey on the elderly should not be treated kindly by the courts, even if an aggressive attitude at the time of the crime is fueled by, as in Franks' case, alcohol - or by drugs. To his credit, Judge William Shaffer handed Franks a sentence that should have a lifelong crime-free impact on him. If it doesn't, Franks deserves no future consideration for leniency.

In the most serious case for which Franks was in court Tuesday, the defendant pleaded guilty to robbery and kidnapping in connection with a break-in Christmas Eve at the residence of John Dick, 75, of North Chestnut Street, and the theft of money from, and the kidnapping of, the victim.

Franks also pleaded guilty in three other, unrelated cases of burglary, furnishing liquor to minors and accidents involving damage to an unattended vehicle - further exacerbating people's accurate perception that he has not been one of Butler's upstanding citizens. He is lucky that sentences for those crimes will be served concurrently - at the same time he is incarcerated for the crimes involving his kidnapping victim - rather than consecutively.

It's another example of a criminal getting a break, while in the case of his kidnapping victim, effects of a stroke suffered hours after the encounter with Franks, as well as the mental trauma stemming from the incident, are destined to last, probably for the rest of his life.

"I'm thoroughly convinced I'll never recover from the trauma," Dick said. "I wake up at night and I see him standing over me with a knife."

Franks broke into the residence, took a 10-inch butcher knife from the victim's kitchen and roused Dick in his second-floor bedroom.

Initially, Franks demanded credit cards, but settled for $70 from his victim's wallet when he was told the victim did not have such cards. Franks also stole a videocassette recorder, two telephones and a vase full of quarters - then, forcing Dick to accompany him, used the victim's car for a two-hour ride around the city. The ride involved numerous traffic violations and the sideswiping of a parked car, before Franks released his hostage and the car.

Following the stroke, Dick spent Christmas and five days after in Butler Memorial Hospital.

Not every victim of such a crime could have mustered the will to forgive Franks for what he did, but his victim in the Dec. 24 incident did just that, while urging Franks to "forsake drugs and alcohol and the Lord will forgive (you)."

After the hearing, Dick said "I'm hoping for rehabilitation . . . that he will come out of prison a different man."

If that wish comes to pass, Franks still has the opportunity to be a productive member of society, within the parameters of being an ex-convict.

Regardless, this incident should leave an indelible mark on Franks - that people who prey on the elderly are cowards who deserve no pity by the courts or the law-abiding public.

Others whom that message hasn't reached need to open their eyes to that reality, before it's too late.