Source: myjournalcourier.com 1/26/26
CARROLLTON — The Greene County state’s attorney said social media comments prompted him to make “a statement of reason” about a sex offender’s sentencing.
Comments posted on Facebook were focusing on the sentencing of Kaleb _____, 24, who now is on the sex offender registry. He was charged with sexual assault of a minor between 13 and 17 years old. He initially was facing five charges, including two Class X felony child pornography charges, two felony child pornography charges, and sexual assault of a minor between 13 and 17.
When people saw the man got six months in county jail, a $500 fine and two years of probation instead of a lengthy sentence that would come with five felony charges, they said they thought the ruling was too light, among other accusations of wrongdoing.
State’s Attorney Craig Grummel said he doesn’t use Facebook in his free time, but people were sending him screenshots of the comments section.
“Everyone obviously has their right to free speech, but some of those (comments) were inciting violence … something like ‘dead sex offenders don’t repeat offend,’ and talking about gun violence and things like that,” Grummel said.
Some of them were critical of Grummel and asked him to consider making a public response.
“What many commenters do not see are the realities that govern every criminal case: the strength and limits of the evidence, the defenses the law provides every defendant, the history of the accused, and — most importantly — the wishes of the victim and the victim’s family. Those factors matter. They matter a great deal,” he said in the statement.
“The sentence of the defendant in this case was more severe than the victim desired. I consider the impact of a trial on a victim, and everyone should respect that person’s privacy,” Grummel wrote. “My office will continue to focus on the victim’s desires as they are the ones who have to go through this process, not anyone else.”
In an interview, Grummel said the biggest reason Kaleb didn’t get a longer sentence is largely — but not solely — because it wasn’t what the victim wanted. He also said he was scared some of the comments could lead to the victim’s identity becoming public if they continued.
Leave up to fakebook to stir up the horntet’s nest.
This just goes to show that justice should NEVER be tried in the court of public opinion.
I’m glad this person received a more reasonable sentence than most we’ve seen posted here, although we all know he’s on the “list” for a lifetime sentence. However, this statement makes me angry: “the wishes of the victim and the victim’s family. Those factors matter”. I thought we had laws and judges to decide these things, not the wishes of others? In this case the wishes of the victim helped shorten the sentence, but in most, they are the reason people are in prison 15 years for possessing a couple images.
The last quote in the full article states
“There are several serious cases coming up that I believe will satisfy those who are rightly demanding accountability and justice. The work is ongoing, and it is being done deliberately and lawfully,”
Interesting statement by the judge. I feel for the next sex related case in his court.