'There was a little bit of justice': Father of American journalist beheaded by 'ISIS Beatle' speaks out after watching member of terror cell plead guilty on the 7th anniversary of his son's death

 The father of an American journalist beheaded by a member of the ISIS 'Beatles' has said there is now 'a little bit of justice' after he watched one of the terrorists plead guilty on what marked the seventh anniversary of his son's death. 

Art Sotloff, father of slain 31-year-old Steven Joel Sotloff, said he felt his son's presence in the federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, Thursday as he came face-to-face with the jihadi Alexanda Amon Kotey.  

'I felt [Steven] there in the courtroom with me and I could see him smiling because finally there was a little bit of justice,' said Sotloff.

Kotey, 37, known as 'Jihadi Ringo' of the terror cell dubbed the ISIS 'Beatles' because of their British accents, pleaded guilty to all eight counts of terrorism charges Thursday.

Art Sotloff, the father of an American journalist beheaded by a member of the ISIS 'Beatles' has said there is now 'a little bit of justice' after he watched one of the terrorists plead guilty

Art Sotloff, the father of an American journalist beheaded by a member of the ISIS 'Beatles' has said there is now 'a little bit of justice' after he watched one of the terrorists plead guilty

Alexanda Amon Kotey (on left with El Shafee Elsheikh right) pleaded guilty to all eight counts of terrorism charges Thursday

Alexanda Amon Kotey (on left with El Shafee Elsheikh right) pleaded guilty to all eight counts of terrorism charges Thursday

Horrific footage of the American-Israeli journalist being beheaded on September 2 2014 by Mohammed Emwazi - known as 'Jihadi John' - was shared online by the terrorists (above)

Horrific footage of the American-Israeli journalist being beheaded on September 2 2014 by Mohammed Emwazi - known as 'Jihadi John' - was shared online by the terrorists (above)

Steven was one of multiple victims including four Americans taken captive by the group, before being tortured and executed in Syria.  

Horrific footage of the American-Israeli journalist being beheaded on September 2 2014 by Mohammed Emwazi - known as 'Jihadi John' - was shared online by the terrorists.  

Sotloff told Local10 he was sat just 10 feet from Kotey in the courtroom as the jihadi calmly recalled how he subjected Steven and his other hostages to torture. 


Sotloff, from South Florida, said Kotey showed no emotion and was 'cool, calm and collected like he was talking about baseball' as he described punching, waterboarding and administering electric shocks to his victims. 

Though it was 'devastating' to hear how his son had suffered, he said he tried to 'contain myself' because he was with the other victims' families.

Family members of the other three American victims - fellow US journalist James Foley and US aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller - were also in court Thursday. 

Steven Joel Sotloff, 31, pictured
He was one of multiple victims taken captive by the group, before being tortured and executed

Steven Joel Sotloff, 31, (pictured) was one of multiple victims including four Americans taken captive by the group, before being tortured and executed in Syria

Sotloff said he was able to take some 'pleasure' in the knowledge that there is now some 'justice' for his son's death. 

Kotey made 'very little' eye contact with the families, said Sotloff, adding that he 'wanted' to look the terrorist in the eye but 'didn't have the opportunity.' 

The grieving dad said he believes the timing of Kotey's guilty plea - seven years on from Steven's death - was pertinent. 

'Seven years to the day. What are the odds of that? I think God had something to do with it. I don't know what to say,' he said. 

Steven, a grandson of Holocaust survivors who grew up in Miami, was working as a freelance journalist in Syria when he was taken hostage from a fake government checkpoint near Aleppo in 2013. 

Kotey (in blue top) and Elsheikh (behind) are escorted by Kurdish security in Kobani, Syria, in 2018

Kotey (in blue top) and Elsheikh (behind) are escorted by Kurdish security in Kobani, Syria, in 2018

He was held by the terror cell for 13 months before ISIS posted a video of his execution online. 

ISIS had demanded a ransom of $140million which the US government refused to pay. 

The Obama administration came under fire following Steven's death after the US military failed in its attempt to rescue him and the three other American hostages.  

Kotey now faces life without parole for his part in the murders of Steven and the other hostages when he is sentenced on March 22. 

He pleaded guilty Thursday to charges including hostage-taking resulting in death, conspiracy to commit murder against US citizens abroad, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. 

This came almost one year after he originally plead non-guilty last October, suggesting he may now be cooperating with authorities. 

During his plea hearing, Kotey confessed to his role in the deaths of the four Americans as well as British and Japanese nationals.   

Foley was executed on video in August 2014 after being held by ISIS for two years since his capture while working as a freelance war correspondent during the Syria Civil War.  

James Foley
Peter Kassig

Kotey was also charged in connection with the deaths of journalist James Foley (left) and aid worker Peter Kassig (right)

Kotey is also charged over the death of U.S. human rights activist and humanitarian worker Kayla Mueller (pictured)

He was also charged over the death of US humanitarian worker Kayla Mueller (pictured)

Aid worker Mueller was abducted in 2013 and held for two years, during which she was raped by former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. 

She was beheaded in 2015 and photos of her body sent by email to her family.   

Former US Army Ranger Kassig was killed in 2014 after being captured in October 2013 while working to provide aid to Syrians fleeing the war-torn country.  

Kotey was part of a terrorist group of four men from west London nicknamed the 'Beatles' and led by Emwazi.

As well as the four Americans, the group was involved in the deaths of other hostages including Alan Henning, a British taxi driver who was delivering aid, David Haines, a Scottish aid worker, and two Japanese nationals. 

Emwazi who was killed in a targeted CIA air-strike in 2015. 

Aine Lesley Davis, known as 'Jihadi Paul', was sentenced to serve seven and a half years in a Turkish prison in 2017. 

The fourth member of the ISIS 'Beatles', El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, known as 'Jihadi George', is scheduled to go on trial January.    

Kotey and Elsheikh were finally transferred to US custody last October to face trial after being held in Iraq by the US military. 

'There was a little bit of justice': Father of American journalist beheaded by 'ISIS Beatle' speaks out after watching member of terror cell plead guilty on the 7th anniversary of his son's death 'There was a little bit of justice': Father of American journalist beheaded by 'ISIS Beatle' speaks out after watching member of terror cell plead guilty on the 7th anniversary of his son's death Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE on September 04, 2021 Rating: 5

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