BABYDOL SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS.

Byline: Jesse Hiestand Staff Writer

Calling Jody Babydol Gibson a ``tragic, pathetic'' woman, a judge sentenced her to three years in prison Monday for pimping call girls to celebrities, professional athletes and executives.

Gibson, 41, cried quietly as Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Lloyd Nash issued concurrent sentences for three convictions of pimping and told her she could not receive probation under state law.

``This was a tragic case. These women appeared to be tragic, pathetic individuals, and I also believe Ms. Gibson is a tragic, pathetic individual,'' Nash said.

Gibson, who was accused of running an international call-girl ring from a Van Nuys hotel, faced a maximum of nine years in prison. But Nash said he chose the minimum sentence because even though she ran a ``sophisticated, professional business enterprise'' the prostitutes sought her out for work.

With good behavior, Gibson could be freed in as few as 18 months.

``It's quite an emotional time - I don't think any sentence would be a relief right now,'' Gibson's younger sister, Amy Gibson, said outside of court.

The jury had deadlocked on four counts of pandering, but prosecutors said Monday they will not retry her on those charges.

The case against Gibson rested on the testimony of three women, including a substitute teacher and porn star, who said the madam took 40 percent of the $1,000 they were paid for each trick.

``This is not a bad person, and there are no victims in this case,'' Gibson's attorney Jerry Scotti said after the hearing. ``She didn't recruit them - they recruited her. They came to her and paid her money to advance what they wanted to do.''

Scotti also blasted the District Attorney's Office and police for not investigating men in Gibson's trick books. ``If I'm a john in that book, then I got away with this - a free pass.''

Scotti refused to reveal the names in the books and has advised Gibson not to talk either - at least until the case is completely over.

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Richard Walmark said Gibson raised the issue of the men to divert attention from her, and Scotti could have subpoenaed any of the men to testify at the trial.

Walmark said no one has investigated the men in Gibson's book, but his office prosecutes about 2,000 men each year for soliciting prostitutes. Gibson, not her customers, was the target of the 10-month undercover investigation because she was victimizing the women who worked for her, Walmark said.

``They were being exposed to all the unsafe and untoward conditions on the front lines while she sits back and receives 40 percent of what they make,'' Walmark said outside of court.

Gibson originally faced about 20 years in prison if convicted of 13 counts of pimping and pandering, but six counts were dropped before trial, and four ended deadlocked.

Nash refused to grant Gibson bail while the conviction is appealed. Scotti said the Internal Revenue Service is investigating her for suspected income tax evasion and money laundering.

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Photo: Babydol Gibson