I agree. What this creep did was reprehensible, but 18 years!! Five to seven years at hard labor, no parole, and a huge fine would be a tough sentence.
If you read the story, this bastard ran a profit making business based on extortion. It wasn't just his girl friend. It was many women being gotten back at by vindictive x- husbands/boyfriends.
He wasn't just doing it for fun. He was making money doing it.
Screw him. He's just lucky as hell that the state locked him up before some really pissed off father got a hold of him.