Richard Culley, a former Army sergeant plans to fight to prevent his son, Ryan, from being labeled as a “sex offender” for having sex with a 15-year old girl who lied about her age.
He was convicted solely based on the age of the girl. In Court, it was stipulated that the sex between Ryan and the girl was consensual and there was no coercion, the girl claimed on Facebook that she was 18 years old, the girl was the one who initiated contact with Ryan.
Ryan received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to sexual assault, but the prison sentence is not what concerns Richard. It’s the horrible label of “sex offender” that his son will have to wear for the rest of his life! A label that Richard feels does not fit all and that he vows to fight.
Related links:
Fake age claim brings prison time [tdtnews.com 5/9/18]
I wonder what this father thought of sex offenders before his child was labeled one. Does he still assume they’re all predators and that his son is the only exception?
Or does he finally realize that our children are more likely to end up being labeled a sex offender than be victimized by someone on the registry?
Either request 2 forms of ID or only sleep with women who look old enough to be your mom.
This is a prime example of the action being purely technical than any sort of justice. Particularly so because it was the “victim” who initiated everything under falls pretense. Why doesn’t entrapment apply to non-LEO?
If he had the same strength and perseverance that Mary Duval had in removing her son Ricky off the registry, then he will do just fine. When parents fight and don’t give up, they can win. She did for him. She was blind by the time he came off the registry and she passed away shortly after.
agreed *boo-hoo* only because his son has to register he is fighting based only because its his own flesh and blood, why wouldnt/why couldnt he fight regardless of who has to or needs to register, in the service we fight for ALL (not just one)
The more people who want to fight the registry, the more evidence is piled up.
From the article:
“It’s the horrible label of “sex offender” that his son will have to wear for the rest of his life!”
Compile this with actual evidence negating anyone labeled as a sex offender. The most heinous evidence is the killing of sex offender because they’re labeled as such. But we have an actor, fire chief, a collegiate baseball pitcher, and business people who’s lives have been altered once their label was discovered. There’s also the IML. Look at Coalinga and how they wanted to remove the right to vote because of the label.
All these evidences point to retribution than rehabilitation. And should a case go up to the SCOTUS, then having more cases brought up like this, depicting the registry has gone far beyond it’s statutory purposes and into the realm of retribution and deterrence.
The father is making news. He’s giving us another voice. Let’s not belittle that, please.
I sincerely hope this father’s story gets as much media attention as possible… TV morning shows, talk shows, radio and television interviews, “People” and “Us” magazines. It is not wrong that his son is put on the Registry – it is wrong that ANYONE is put on the Registry. The injustice is that the Registry even exists at all. More public attention needs to be brought to this extreme injustice.
The registry has gotten so out of hand regardless of the circumstances. It isn’t a cookie cutter registry and wht I do not understand is why so many young people are on this registry for first offenses and doing stupid things like having sex with their girl friends who have been their girl friends for years but now the young man is of legal age and she isn’t yet, if a young man gets drunk and pees on a play ground or moons some family on the highway, they will all be on this registry for minimum of 10 years. Bam life ruined for doing stupid things, never actually laid a hand on a child. This registry should be reserved for the more severe multiple offenders and yes I do have a daughter! Why must young men be so harshly publically punished with a scarlet letter when murderers or drunk drivers can have multiple offenses, serve their time and be out Scott free without having to endure the harsh public scrutiny that some of these young men do? The justice system needs to be updated for sure and these things need to be taken seriously.